Golf fans took more than 155,000 Merseyrail journeys to and from The Open, which took place near Hoylake on the Wirral peninsula in July.
Passengers on all lines increased as people from all over the world descended on the course to watch the best golfers in the world compete for the sport’s most prestigious prize.
During the eight-day event, which began with the first practise on Sunday, July 16, and ended on Sunday, July 23, the network saw an average increase of around 20,000 extra journeys per day.
Merseyrail operated a special event timetable, with a ten-minute service running between Hoylake station and Liverpool City Centre from Wednesday, July 19, to Sunday, July 23.
And many golf fans were blown away not only by the train schedule, but also by the excellent customer service provided by Merseyrail staff on trains and at stations. At Hoylake station, the train company even provided entertainment in the form of stilt walkers and a living statue.
Merseyrail also hosted the prestigious Claret Jug in Liverpool Central Station the week before the event, which helped to get the region in a celebratory mood.
Jane English, acting Managing Director of Merseyrail, said:
“Yet again Merseyrail delivered a fantastic experience on an international stage for the thousands of passengers who travelled on our services during the week.
“It was great to receive such positive feedback about the event organisation and the service we provided, including from many of our international passengers. We were also able to showcase the new Class 777 trains in passengers service for the first time on the West Kirby Line.
“I’d also like to say thank you to our customers on the Wirral for their patience and support of Merseyrail staff during the event. Some changes to timetables where needed to ensure that the network could cope with an event of this size, and we are really grateful for the understanding of those who were disrupted.”
