Simon Finnie was appointed as Head of Network Performance for Liverpool City Region Combined Authority in February 2025 and has responsibility for the ongoing management of all bus and rail services across the Liverpool City Region. He manages the Merseyrail Electrics Concession to ensure that bus and rail services are accessible, high quality, reliable and punctual. Perhaps most importantly, Simon views transport as “an enabler” for the city-region’s 1.6 million population, of which 500,000-600,000 use the bus and rail network each day.
Central to this, as Simon elaborated upon in his keynote presentation at TRANSPORT Smart Class, North of England 2025, is the delivery of Mayor Steve Rotheram’s plans for a fully integrated, London-style public transport network that’s faster, cheaper, cleaner and better connected, but bespoke for the LCR:
“As we move at pace with taking back control of our bus network through the franchising process, the Liverpool City Region is uniquely placed, through its devolved management and control of the Merseyrail concession, to create a truly integrated network that drives growth and opportunity for all and ensure that the Liverpool City Region is the best place to grow up, grow a family, grow a business and where no-one is left behind.”
Summary of presentation highlights:
- What is an Integrated and Inclusive Transport Network?
- Locally owned and locally controlled – “For the past 25 years we have directly controlled the Merseyrail Electrics Concession which is the best performing train operator company on the UK” , with 94-95% PPM (Passenger Performance Measure)…”Decisions are best made locally because we know what’s best for the communities that we serve”;
- Reliable – e.g. Buses and trains have to turn up on time and be trusted;
- Low Floor – New trains that have recently been rolled out across the network offer full accessibility and are first of a kind in the UK. Disabled passengers can board without a ramp and without phoning ahead;
- Safe – Aided by the use of technology, the network should be safe from personal injury, accidents or incidents;
- Connected – The network should be connected and not work in isolation. Currently we have a two style operation across the city-region – We have a privatised bus network with deregulated private bus networks doing pretty much what they want, and a railway network which also works independently. So in competition with each other, not integrated, and not doing what is right for the passenger. LCR is on a journey of bus franchising which will bring these services together. LCRCA no longer have a Head of Bus or a Head of Rail – Simon is head of both and his new role brings it all together;
- Most importantly, it should be for everyone – “Inclusivity and accessibility is the absolute driving force for what we want” as it enables the culture of the city, it drives economic growth in the city and allows that opportunity to be there for all;
- Reaching New Communities…
- The technology that’s been invested into new rolling stock has enabled expansion of the network to areas that haven’t previously been reached;
- Revolutionary battery trains permit network extension without having to build the third rail, which would be extremely expensive;
- So far, the line has been expanded from Kirkby (an area of high unemployment in in East Liverpool) to Headbolt Lane, and the battery trains will also enable expansion to Daresbury, Carr Mill and Woodchurch which will create new opportunities and new links;
- With regards to maintenance, we’ve also “moved away from using a spanner to fix things, to plugging in a laptop and downloading to help operate a more efficient network”;
- Bus Franchising…
- There are part of the city that Merseyrail doesn’t reach – 80% of Transport users in the Liverpool City Region go by bus;
- Bus franchising is a key part of what LCRCA are doing and it will be done slightly differently to London and Manchester;
- LCRCA will own the fleet and will buy all the vehicles that the bus operators will be operating; They will all be accessible and the majority, from the off, are intended to be electric – so depots are being modernised and electrified;
- LCRCA are actually commercialising the network from their point of view – In a franchised environment, the on-bus revenue comes to the local authority so that it can be reinvested back into the network; So LCRCA are having to make a cultural change internally re how they run the bus network and to think of it as a commercial asset in order to expand the network;
- St Helens should have a franchised bus network by September 2026, followed by Wirral in October 2026, Sefton in July 2027 and Liverpool and Knowsley in September 2027;
- The bus network can’t run in isolation – Bus and rail will be brought together in a timetabled way so that buses will meet trains at stations; Integration and multi-use tickets are really important;
- Managing our Network – A Data Driven Approach…
- Another interesting debate LCRCA are having at the moment is how they are going to manage the network going forward. It can’t be done in isolation so it’s very important LCRCA continue to work with their colleagues in the city and with the other boroughs across the city region to ensure that road space is managed, bus lanes are in place and the right technology (smart traffic lights, for example) is implemented;
- Equally important is how people are used to manage the network – In the age of new technology, with the use of artificial intelligence, and with the use of the kit that’s available on the vehicles, traditional large-staffed control rooms are not necessary; Response should be proactive, not reactive; LCRCA want to deploy these staff to the front line (not lose them) so that they can interact directly with customers (providing reassurance), “rather than staring at screens in dark rooms”;
- Manage versus Operate – “We want the technology to manage the network and people to operate it”;
- Using Data to Power the Network and Use of Technology Across the Fleet…
- 95% of Scheduled mileage is tracked in real time/using real time information, and all operators have to contribute to Bus Open Data;
- VeloCiti contract management system – Tracks Revenue and Passenger Trends to help make decisions re future networks;
- Ticketer Network Performance management tool – This ticket machine on the bus is a very powerful tool as it can track everything the vehicle does: “It’s the equivalent of having an inspector on every single vehicle. We can control, plan and improve the network using the data from the machine”;
- Improved security – AI plays a really important role e.g. control rooms can see into the trains and buses live;
- Better on-board customer information – AI voices on Merseyrail reduces amount of space taken up by voices on disks and also enables more agility with announcements e.g. to highlight events in the city (so can be used commercially);
- Increasing use of AI to spot trespassing on the line and react (to turn power off) much quicker;
- Centralised digital control centre for Merseyrail at Sandhills, which has recently been upgraded;
- The ASDO scheme enables doors to be automatically opened on trains safely where there isn’t sufficient platform for back carriages;
- New class 777 IPEMU (Independent Powered Electrical Multiple Unit) Battery trains;
- Rolling Stock Passenger Count system – Already fitted to all Merseyrail trains and intension to fit it to the bus network as well to provide visibility on where and when people get on and off; Origin and destination points help in planning the network and examining levels of demand across it;
- The ‘glider’ service – A bus rapid transit system which is fully electric and is in many ways as good as a tram line but without the need to dig up roads and install tracks; About to be trialled across the city region e.g. to Liverpool Airport and hopefully to Everton’s new football stadium;
- New Zero Emission Buses (Alexander Douglas Enviro400EV) coming into service soon;
- “The Royal Daffodil” – Fully accessible and the first new Mersey ferry to be built (by Cammell Laird) in 65 years etc
If you meet our regular delegate qualification criteria but were unable to join us at Liverpool Town Hall for the live in-person event on July 3rd, CLICK HERE and complete the short “Download form” (located at the bottom of the post) to receive a unique link enabling free access to the presentation video recordings and slides (including the film footage and slides from Simon’s keynote).
Those qualifying to receive the rich presentation content from this event include commissioning, procurement, trialling, partnering and policy leads, senior influencers, strategic decision makers, programme managers and planners from local authorities (e.g. city, borough, metropolitan, district and county councils); public transport operators; regional transport partnerships, sub-regional transport bodies, combined authorities, integrated transport authorities and passenger transport executives; highways authorities and road operators; government and supporting national transport agencies; non-governmental organisations; fleet operators, parking operators, prime contractors etc.
