Merseyrail has released its timetable for this year's Grand National Festival at Aintree Racecourse.
The famous festival will return to Merseyside from Thursday April 7 to Saturday April 9 - the day of the showpiece Grand National race. The world famous racing festival was cancelled in 2020 because of the covid pandemic and was held behind closed doors last year as the pandemic continued.
Excitement is now growing ahead of this year's event, which is set to return in full. That will mean huge numbers of people will be heading to Aintree - and public transport will be essential over the course of the festival.
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With that in mind, and to help racegoers plan their journeys, Merseyrail has just released its special timetable for the days of the festival. The transport operator says it is aiming to provide the best possible service to those attending the festival while keeping the city region moving.
Trains to and from Aintree will be as follows: On Thursday 7 and Friday 8 April, a 10-minute service will run between Aintree and Liverpool Central/Moorfields stations from approximately 10:30am to 1:50pm (before the races) and from approximately 4:45pm until 8:25pm (after the races). On Saturday April 9, a 10-minute service will run between Aintree and Liverpool Central stations from approximately 10:30am until 1:50pm (before the races) and from approximately 17:35pm until 9pm (after the races).
During the three-day festival there will also be timetable changes to some other lines. Trains from Ormskirk to Liverpool will depart up to two minutes earlier than usual. Trains from Southport to Liverpool will depart up to two minutes earlier than usual.
Trains between Kirkby and Liverpool will terminate at Sandhills, where passengers can board connecting services to complete their journey. This will apply to all services between 11am and 2pm and 5pm and 9pm across the three days.
There are no changes to Wirral line timetables during the three days but passengers travelling to the festival from any Wirral line stations are advised to change onto a train for Aintree at Moorfields station. Tickets can be bought from any staffed Merseyrail station, or a Day Saver can be purchased online via the Merseyrail website to avoid queues.
Andy Heath, Managing Director at Merseyrail, said: “Everyone at Merseyrail is incredibly excited to welcome back Grand National racegoers to our network after the COVID-19 pandemic meant that the 2021 festival took place behind closed doors.
“This special timetable means we are able to get thousands of racegoers to and from the world’s biggest horse racing event safely and efficiently, as well as delivering a reliable service to commuters across the Liverpool City Region. There will also be an increased number of staff on hand across the network to ensure that all passengers can reach their destination safely and crowds are managed effectively.”
