Route History

[MTL0201]

RE: Route History

(16/05/2019 06:49)L544 Wrote:  The origins of the route number 54 was in a Ribble service from Seaforth Sands Overhead railway terminus (which was a big bus hub - terminus of 1 16 23 24 33 39 61 68) the staff building still there inside the dock estate wall. The service ran to Netherton Green via Dunnings Bridge Road and Copy Lane. It first changed to going through Aintree and the canal bridge before growing even larger and hence numbering of 17.
54 had a sister route number 53 from Black Bull via Park Lane to Netherton Marian Square which is now part of the 63.

Both these short routes existed becasue they served Litherland which was outside of LCPT's area and Ribble got exclusive rights to operate on these roads until Netherton was developed and something better had to be provided by way of bus services.

Interesting, my 1977 Liverpool PTE area timetable, has the 54 Bootle New Strand-Aintree, Wango Lane, with a 54A Bootle New Strand-Netherton Village, 54/54A was an all day route but no Sunday service.

The 53/53A/53B was an industrial/school service, couple of 53s ran to Netherton Village, others was mostly was Magdelene Square, 53B was to English Electric Factory, some 53/53A started Dunnings Bridge Road/Park Lane, 53 group was withdrawn mid 80s, maybe summer 86

53 reappeared at d-reg at first was a circular with the 55 via the withdrawn 28, then Fleetwoods Lane & via the 55 before getting rerouted via Thornton & Crosby, with a 53A City Centre-Thornton via Crosby, 55A City Centre-Old Roan.

The current 53 has its origins in the Ribble L3, Merseybus introduced a 93 Crosby-City Centre covering the L3, this was at the time North Western refused saveaways, not sure when the 93/53/L3 came as we know it today, but may have been the summer 91 changes which saw the Pier Head bus station abandoned permanently, & a few route mergers creating monster routes vis City Centre.

52 replaced the 55 Netherton Village to Old Roan, this was the old PTE 46, this was extended from Walton to Old Roan via Netherton & there was a 52A to Maghull, this didn't last long though