Editing Merseyside (section)

== Transport ==
{{See also|Transport in Liverpool|St Helens, Merseyside#Transport and infrastructure|Wirral Peninsula#Transport|Merseytravel|:Category:Transport in Merseyside}}

=== Road ===
[[File:Liverpool_City_Region_Motorways.png|thumb|Motorway network around Merseyside]]
Merseyside is served by six [[Controlled-access highway|motorways]]: the [[M58 motorway|M58]] to the north, [[M56 motorway|M56]] to the south, [[M6 motorway|M6]] & [[M62 motorway|M62]] to the east and [[M53 motorway|M53]] to the west. The [[M57 motorway|M57]] acts as an outer ring road and bypass for the city of Liverpool itself. The [[River Mersey]] is crossed by [[Queensway Tunnel]] and [[Kingsway Tunnel]], which link Liverpool to Birkenhead and Wallasey respectively, and by the [[Silver Jubilee Bridge]] and [[Mersey Gateway Bridge]], which link Runcorn and Widnes. The Mersey Gateway Bridge opened in 2017 and is designed to improve transport links between Widnes and Runcorn and other key locations in the vicinity.<ref>{{cite news |title=Halton Council: Runcorn & Widnes Communications |url=http://www.halton.gov.uk/property/comms_roads.asp |url-status=dead |access-date=10 May 2012 |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20111015125932/http%3A//www.halton.gov.uk/property/comms_roads.asp |archive-date=15 October 2011 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

[[National Cycle Route 56]] and [[National Cycle Route 62]] pass through the region, the former along the Wirral and the latter from Southport to Runcorn.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Route 56 – Sustrans.org.uk |url=https://www.sustrans.org.uk/find-a-route-on-the-national-cycle-network/route-56 |access-date=20 June 2023 |website=Sustrans |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Route 62 |url=https://www.sustrans.org.uk/find-a-route-on-the-national-cycle-network/route-62/ |access-date=20 June 2023 |website=Sustrans |language=en}}</ref> Major bus companies are [[Stagecoach Merseyside]] and [[Arriva North West]]. [[Liverpool One bus station]] serves as a terminus for national coach travel.

=== Rail ===
[[File:Merseyrail_train.png|right|thumb|Typical Merseyrail train at Liverpool Central underground station]]
[[Liverpool Lime Street railway station|Liverpool Lime Street]] mainline station is Merseyside's primary intercity railway station, being used by 10.46 million passengers in 2021–22.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Office of Rail and Road |date=24 November 2022 |title=Estimates of station usage: 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 |url=https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/media/2150/station-usage-2021-22-statistical-release.pdf |access-date=20 June 2023 |website=dataportal.orr.gov.uk |page=4}}</ref> Train services are provided by [[Avanti West Coast]], [[London Northwestern Railway]], [[TransPennine Express]], [[West Midlands Trains]], [[Transport for Wales]] and [[Northern (train operating company)|Northern]], and serve destinations across the UK.<ref>{{cite news |title=railway-technology.com: Liverpool Lime Street Station, United Kingdom |url=http://www.railway-technology.com/projects/liverpoollimestreets |access-date=9 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=redspottedhanky.com: Stations Overview: Liverpool Lime Street |url=http://www.redspottedhanky.com/trains/stations/liverpool-lime-street-liv/ |access-date=9 May 2012}}</ref>

[[Merseyrail]] is the county's urban rail system and is operated by [[Merseytravel]], the combined [[passenger transport executive]] for the Liverpool City Region. The network has 66 stations on two lines; the Northern Line covers the centre of the county, and the Wirral Line covers the eponymous peninsula.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stations |url=https://www.merseyrail.org/journey-planning/stations/ |access-date=20 June 2023 |website=www.merseyrail.org |language=en-GB}}</ref> The two lines meet in [[Liverpool City Centre]], and [[Liverpool Central railway station|Liverpool Central]] is the county's most-used station, with 10.75 million passengers in 2021–22.<ref>{{cite news |date=31 October 2011 |title=Transport Committee: Written evidence from Merseytravel (CTR 09) |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmtran/1609/1609vw10.htm |access-date=9 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=transportweb.com: Merseyrail Electrics |url=http://www.transportweb.com/directory/386/15561 |access-date=9 May 2012}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> The network extends to [[Ormskirk]] in Lancashire, and Ellesmere Port and Chester in Cheshire.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Network Map |url=https://www.merseyrail.org/journey-planning/plan-your-journey/network-map/ |access-date=20 June 2023 |website=www.merseyrail.org |language=en-GB}}</ref> Merseytravel brands the network in the east of the county as the '[[City Line (Merseytravel)|City Line]]', but the services on it are not operated by Merseyrail. The [[Borderlands line]] connects the west of the Wirral to [[Wales]], and is operated by [[Transport for Wales Rail]].

=== Maritime ===
{{multiple images
| header            = Maritime Transport in Merseyside
| image1            = Pier Head and Mersey Ferry Liverpool.jpg
| caption1          = [[Liverpool Cruise Terminal]], [[Pier Head]] and [[Mersey Ferry]] terminal
| image3            = Queen Mary 2 and Manannan, Liverpool landing stage, River Mersey (geograph 4556203).jpg
| caption3          = ''[[Queen Mary 2]]'' with [[Isle of Man Steam Packet Company]] ferry [[HSC Manannan|HSC ''Manannan'']] at Pier Head
| image2            = Benkid77 Mersey Ferry 120605.JPG
| caption2          = [[Mersey Ferry]] {{MV|Royal Iris of the Mersey}}
| image4            = Stena Lagan at Twelve Quays, Birkenhead (1).jpg
| caption4          = [[Twelve Quays]] Ferry Terminal, [[Birkenhead]] for [[Stena Line]] {{MS|Stena Lagan}} services to [[Belfast]], [[Northern Ireland]]
| image6            = Steam packet route map.svg
| caption6          = Routes operated by the [[Isle of Man Steam Packet Company]]
| perrow            = 2
| total_width       = 300px
}}

 {{Further|Category:Maritime transport in Merseyside}}
[[Liverpool Cruise Terminal]] provides facilities for long-distance passenger cruises. [[Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines]] {{MS|Black Watch|1971|6}} and [[Cruise & Maritime Voyages]] {{MS|Magellan}} use the terminal to depart to [[Iceland]], [[France]], [[Spain]] and [[Norway]]. [[The Peel Group|Peel Ports]] have also planned a second cruise terminal as part of the [[Liverpool Waters]] project.<ref>{{cite news |date=2 March 2012 |title=BBC Liverpool: Liverpool cruise liner terminal opening set for May |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-17232567 |access-date=9 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=30 January 2012 |title=Liverpool Confidential: Second Mersey cruise terminal planned |url=http://www.liverpoolconfidential.co.uk/News-and-Comment/Second-Mersey-cruise-terminal-planned-Liverpool |url-status=dead |access-date=9 May 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120912155859/http://www.liverpoolconfidential.co.uk/News-and-Comment/Second-Mersey-cruise-terminal-planned-Liverpool |archive-date=12 September 2012 }}</ref>

==== Ferries ====
[[File:Seacombe Ferry Terminal Entrance (geograph 5384500).jpg|thumb|Seacombe Ferry Terminal]]
Prince's Landing Stage on Liverpool's [[Pier Head]] serves [[Isle of Man Steam Packet Company]] summer service to the [[Isle of Man]] (and Mersey Ferries). The [[Twelve Quays]] ferry port in Birkenhead serves winter Isle of Man ferry service and [[Stena Line]] services to [[Belfast]], [[Northern Ireland]]. Almost three quarters of a million people{{citation needed|date=February 2023}} travel these [[Irish Sea]] ferry services.<ref>{{cite news |title=Direct Ferries Ltd: How To Get To Liverpool Ferry Port |url=http://www.directferries.co.uk/liverpool.htm |access-date=9 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=February 2011 |title=parliament.uk: Written evidence from Blundellsands Sailing Club (MCA 53) |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmtran/948/948vw42.htm |access-date=9 May 2012}}</ref>

The [[Mersey Ferry]] has operated since the 1200s, currently between [[Wirral Peninsula|Wirral]] and [[Liverpool City Centre]] at Seacombe, Woodside and Liverpool Pier Head. In 2009–2010 it had 684,000{{nbsp}}passengers using the service.<ref>{{cite news |date=2009–2010 |title=Merseytravel: Annual Statistical Monitor 2009/10 |url=http://www.letstravelwise.org/files/1965510687_MON10pdf.pdf |url-status=dead |access-date=9 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419014128/http://www.letstravelwise.org/files/1965510687_MON10pdf.pdf |archive-date=19 April 2014 }}</ref>

==== Commercial ====
The [[Port of Liverpool]] handles most commercial shipping, but the Birkenhead Docks complex in [[Great Float]] on the [[Wirral peninsula]] still handles some freight.

The Port of Liverpool is a [[container port]] that handles over 33{{nbsp}}million{{nbsp}}tonnes of [[Cargo|freight cargo]] per year, making it the fourth busiest port in the United Kingdom {{as of|2022|lc=on}}.<ref name="port01">{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/port-and-domestic-waterborne-freight-statistics-port |title=Statistical data set PORT01 – UK ports and traffic|publisher=Department for Transport | access-date = 27 July 2024}}</ref>
It serves more than 100 global destinations including Africa, Australia, China, India, the [[Middle East]] and [[South America]]. Imports include [[Cereal|grain]] and [[animal feed]], [[Lumber|timber]], steel, coal, cocoa, crude oil, edible oils and liquid chemicals; there are exports of [[Scrap|scrap metal]] for recycling.<ref>{{cite news |year=2010 |title=Peel Ports: Port of Liverpool |url=http://www.peelports.co.uk/port-of-liverpool |url-status=dead |access-date=9 May 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120413101031/http://www.peelports.co.uk/port-of-liverpool/ |archive-date=13 April 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |year=2010 |title=Port of Liverpool Introduction |url=http://www.shipcanal.co.uk/port-of-liverpool |access-date=9 May 2012}}</ref>  A second container terminal, [[Liverpool2]] at [[Seaforth Dock|Seaforth]], can handle [[Panamax|Post-Panamax]] vessels and doubled the port's capacity when it opened in 2016.<ref>{{cite news |date=6 March 2012 |title=Liverpool Port Terminal Work to Begin Next Year |url=http://www.joc.com/portsterminals/liverpool-port-terminal-work-begin-next-year |access-date=9 May 2012}}</ref>

=== Air ===
[[Liverpool John Lennon Airport]] is the county's international airport. It is in [[Speke]], {{convert|6.5|mi}} southeast of Liverpool city centre, with 5 million departures in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Arrivals and departures at Liverpool John Lennon Airport 2020 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/467477/passengers-arrivals-and-departures-at-liverpool-john-lennon-airport-uk/ |access-date=20 June 2023 |website=Statista |language=en}}</ref> Flights are primarily operated by [[easyJet]] and [[Ryanair]], and over 70 destinations are served by the airport, including regular flights to the [[Near East]] and [[North Africa]].<ref>{{cite news |date=29 June 2011 |title=Liverpool John Lennon airport provides key tourism gateway |url=http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/ldpbusiness/2011/06/29/liverpool-john-lennon-airport-provides-key-tourism-gateway-99623-28966834 |access-date=10 May 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Ryanair's New Routes from JLA Take Off In Style |url=http://www.liverpoolairport.com/press-office/ryanair-s-new-routes-from-jla-take-off-in-style.html |url-status=dead |access-date=10 May 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120904142035/http://www.liverpoolairport.com/press-office/ryanair-s-new-routes-from-jla-take-off-in-style.html |archive-date=4 September 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Liverpool John Lennon Airport Destination Map |url=http://www.liverpoolairport.com/flight-information/destination-map.html |access-date=10 May 2012}}</ref>

The airport is planning substantial expansion, and is forecast to handle more than 12{{nbsp}}million passengers by 2030, as well as targeting permanent direct long haul flights and significantly larger terminal facilities.<ref>{{cite news |title=Liverpool John Lennon Airport Master Plan |url=http://www.liverpoolairport.com/about-us/master-plan.html |access-date=10 May 2012}}</ref>