Decision details

Brief Summary

Lancashire County Council and Merseyrail with the support of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority have developed a multi-modal ticketing agreement to retail combined bus and rail tickets as part of the wider Skelmersdale TrainLink project.

The Skelmersdale TrainLink service began on 22nd January 2023 with bus services (service number 319) operating between Skelmersdale Concourse and Kirkby Bus Station via Kirkby Railway Station. The TrainLink bus service is operated by Stagecoach under contract to Lancashire County Council using funding provided by Central Government's Bus Service Improvement Plan.

An agreement has been developed which specifies the arrangements of the bus / rail multi-ticketing arrangements to be retailed on the Skelmersdale TrainLink bus service and on the Merseyrail network.

This report considers the options available to Lancashire County Council, provides a recommendation and approves the approach to be taken.

Detail

The Skelmersdale TrainLink service began on 22nd January 2023 with bus services (service number 319) running between Skelmersdale Concourse and Kirkby Bus Station via Kirkby Railway Station. The 319 bus service is operated by Stagecoach under contract to Lancashire County Council using funding provided by Central Government's Bus Service Improvement Plan.

It is proposed that Lancashire County Council introduces bus / rail multi-modal ticketing products on the Skelmersdale TrainLink service in partnership with Merseyrail and with the support of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

Lancashire County Council will be the "administrator" of the ticketing scheme, with recording of sales, reconciliation and reimbursement and the provision of information.

It is intended that the scheme commences in May 2024, operating as an integral part of the Skelmersdale TrainLink service and being subject to regular review by scheme partners.

Consultations

Extensive consultation on the Skelmersdale TrainLink project has taken place between Officers of Lancashire County Council, Merseyrail, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Stagecoach. The Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport has been kept up to date with progress relating to agreements, the programme for implementation and ongoing review.

Implications:

This item has the following implications, as indicated:

Financial

The Skelmersdale TrainLink project is funded via the Lancashire County Council Bus Services Improvement Plan. The revenue risk of the multi-modal ticketing introduction is minimal and there are no financial implications arising directly from this report.

Price setting of multi-modal ticketing products is subject to regular review and will be undertaken with the consensus of scheme partners. Each scheme partner may withdraw from the scheme on giving not less than 28 days prior notice in writing.

Procurement

The Skelmersdale TrainLink bus service is provided under contract to Lancashire County Council. There are no procurement implications arising directly from this report. 

Legal

The multi-modal ticketing scheme is intended to operate as a voluntary scheme and not as an advanced ticketing scheme pursuant to section 134C to 134G of the Transport Act 2000. The Scheme Partners intend for this Agreement to comply with the terms of the Competition Act 1998 (Public Transport Ticketing Scheme Block Exemption) Order 2001 as amended by The Competition Act 1998 (Public Transport Ticketing Schemes Block Exemption) (Amendment) Order 2016 (the "Block Exemption").

Risk management

Any update to financial, procurement and legal aspects of the project will be subject to regular reporting to the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport.

Oliver Starkey, Head of Service for Public and Integrated Transport, took a decision to approve:

1. The signing of the agreement concluding the arrangements of the Skelmersdale TrainLink multi-modal ticketing scheme agreed between Lancashire County Council and Merseyrail; and
2. Lancashire County Council participating in the scheme as both the scheme administrator and the client of the contracted 319 Skelmersdale TrainLink bus service.