On Saturday, August 9, Everton’s £750m Hill Dickinson Stadium will see its first full house as the Blues take on Roma followed by a Legends game – but will the local transport system be able to cope? Tony McDonough reports
Extra trains, buses and ferries will be laid on to ferry Everton fans to their new home on Saturday, August 9, when the Hill Dickinson stadium will see its first full house.
This third and final test event for the £750m arena at Bramley-Moore Dock will see the Blues’ first team take on Serie A giants Roma at 3pm followed by a Legends game kicking off at 5.15pm.
A capacity crowd of 52,769 will pack into the waterfront arena. The second test event in March limited crowd numbers to 25,000. So not only is this a big test for Everton it will also provide a big challenge for the local transport network.
Merseyrail and the Combined Authority, which oversees public transport in Liverpool city region, came in for significant criticism from Everton fans who faced delays and difficulties getting to and from the stadium.
This was despite extra trains, buses and even a special Mersey Ferry service being laid on. An apparent lack of capacity at the nearby Sandhills tested the patience of fans trying to catch trains home.
There is a point of view that Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram and the Combined Authority could have done more in the years the Hill Dickinson Stadium was under construction to increase capacity and Sandhills and on the Merseyrail network.
However, the Mayor claims building a new and bigger station at Sandhills would likely cost in the region of £100m adding the Department for Transport would likely reject the project with current footfall in the area not high enough to justify the outlay.
Mr Rotheram also said the current infrastructure on the network offers limited scope for adding more frequent services.
In an interview in the spring, he said: “We can squeeze a little bit more out of the infrastructure that we’ve got, but it’s an analogue signalling service, so we couldn’t do all of the lines.
“We just haven’t got the digital infrastructure and that would cost £200m or something ridiculous that Network Rail have said for us to convert over and cause huge disruption for an awful long time.”
Liverpool City Council has also come in for criticism for its new parking regulations being introduced for the area around Bramley-Moore. Pushback from local business and residents caused it to revise its initial Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO).
New regulations will come into force from Monday, August 4, ready for the final test event. Key changes include the introduction of non-event-day parking restrictions in industrial zones with extended waiting limits also on non-event days.
A series of improvements have also been implemented for match-goers including better street lighting on walking routes to and from the stadium, improved pedestrian wayfinding signage and temporary signage to shuttle bus and taxi rank locations.
So what can fans expect when the big day arrives on August 9?
Alongside scheduled regular bus routes which drop-off a short walk to the stadium, an increased number of shuttle buses will operate ahead of and following the event from Liverpool city centre, Bootle and Kirkby bus stations – with park and ride options.
Merseyrail will be running a 15-minute service on the Southport, Ormskirk, Hunts Cross, and Headbolt Lane lines before and after the event. Sandhills, Bank Hall and Moorfields are all within walking distance of the stadium.
Merseyrail says there will be temporary changes to timetables of trains travelling towards Liverpool on the Southport line between 10am and 8pm. There will also be some additional services on the Wirral line from 7.30pm onwards.
Neil Grabham, managing director at Merseyrail, said: “Like other major football stadiums across the UK, Sandhills station will be extremely busy on matchdays.
“Customers can help us, to help them, by planning ahead, allowing extra time for journeys, and considering alternative routes in case of unexpected disruption.”
As for the last test event, there are special direct sailings between the Gerry Marsden Ferry Terminal at Liverpool’s Pier Head and Seacombe – a service which could become a regular matchday feature if passenger numbers are high enough.
Everton FC, the Combined Authority, the city council and Merseyrail have all worked together to try to ensure the day runs as smoothly as possible.
While all parties will expect further grumbles from fans there is a feeling that as the new football season progresses, and people are more used to getting to and from the stadium, the teething problems with transport will ease.
Colin Chong, chief real estate and regeneration officer at Everton FC, added: “The first two test events at Hill Dickinson Stadium were incredibly valuable in helping us fine-tune matchday operations — and that success is down in no small part to the passion, patience and feedback of our supporters.
“This third and final event is a major step forward as we welcome a full capacity crowd for the very first time.
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“We’ve listened to fans, learned lessons, and worked with our partners to strengthen the transport offer, with new shuttle services, increased capacity on the rail network and post-match ferry options now in place.
“Evertonians will continue to play a vital role in shaping the future matchday experience at our new home, beyond the test events, and we thank them in advance for planning their journeys and supporting the club every step of the way.”