Racegoers warned to plan and follow travel tips ahead of Grand National Festival

With The Grand National Festival set to welcome thousands from 9-11 April, extra rail and bus services are to be put in place to ensure smooth, reliable journeys.

Throughout the event, staff will be positioned at key points to aid in supporting passengers and help keep crowds moving.

This will be the first year that festival-goers can use the new Tap & Go smart ticketing system across the Merseyrail network.

A Liverpool City Region Combined Authority spokesperson said:

“The Grand National Festival is always one of the biggest events in our calendar, attracting visitors from across the world, and we want everyone to travel with confidence to make sure they don’t miss starter’s orders. With extra staff, enhanced services and the new Tap & Go system now available, it’s never been easier for people to get to Aintree safely and conveniently.

“We encourage everyone to plan ahead, leave plenty of time and enjoy their day. By following our advice, you’ll be getting your day off to a winning start before the first race is even underway.”

Top travel tips for racegoers

If you live nearby, walk or cycle to the event if you can
Use public transport wherever possible – roads leading to and around the course will be busy and parking very limited
Make sure you check routes and plan ahead
Consider your options – services will be busy, so plan your options
Check operator websites and social media channels for up-to-date timetables
Be prepared for last-minute changes to services
Allow extra time for your journeys – services will be much busier than usual
Buy tickets in advance if possible
Be kind to transport staff – they will be working hard to get you there and back

Transportation:

Merseyrail

Throughout the festival, Merseyrail will operate a seven-and-a-half-minute frequency service between Liverpool city centre and Aintree stations on the Merseyrail Northern Line before and after the races.

This seven-and-a-half-minute service will run between Aintree and Liverpool Central/Moorfields stations at the following times:

From approximately 10am – 1pm (before the races)
From approximately 4:30pm – 8pm (after the races)

Due to the more frequent services, there will also be reduced services at some stations on the Ormskirk branch of the Northern Line. This also includes a slightly amended 15-minute timetable on the Southport branch of the Northern Line, as well as the Headbolt Lane branch of the Northern Line having a reduced 30-minute service that will operate all day for all three days of the festival.

The Wirral Line will be operating a normal timetable during the festival, with customers travelling to the festival from any Wirral line stations advised to change at Moorfields for an Aintree-bound train.

Shuttle Bus

Stagecoach will be running a regular Shuttle Bus Service from Liverpool city centre to Aintree Racecourse on all 3 days of the festival.

Shuttle buses will depart Elliot Street [Stop GE].
Return shuttles will depart from Park Lane (opposite Aintree rail station).

Return and day rider tickets will be available to buy, and all buses will accept contactless and mobile payments.
Find out more: Stagecoach 922

Regular services

The 300, 310 & 345 services run regularly between Queen Square bus station and the Aintree area. Please be aware that these services will be on diversion throughout the festival and may not drop off or pick up at their usual stops.

If possible for nearby festival-goers, walking and cycling is advised as the healthiest and sometimes quickest way to get around. This mode of transport will also aid in reducing pressure on public transport services.

E-scooters and E-bikes operated by Bolt are also available for hire within Liverpool.

Mersey Ferries

Liverpool’s iconic Mersey Ferries offers a great and unique option for cross-river travel – with regular commuter services each weekday morning and evening, alongside River Explorer Cruises during the day.

Airports

Liverpool John Lennon International Airport, which is less than 20 mins drive from the city centre, has several regular bus services to Liverpool city centre that operate from outside the terminal building, including the Arriva 500 service.

Manchester Airport is less than a 1-hour drive from Liverpool City Centre and is served by its own train station, along with services operating from here to Manchester Piccadilly and some Liverpool stations.

Mersey Tunnels

The Mersey Tunnels, Wallasey (Kingsway) and Birkenhead (Queensway), are ross-river road options to get from Wirral to Liverpool, with the Wallasey Tunnel providing the greatest link to the racecourse.