COMMUTERS between Wirral and Liverpool have returned to work after the festive break today facing major disruption after track renewal work began.

Network Rail is replacing the most challenging sections of concrete-based track in the Liverpool 'loop' – originally laid in the 1970s - and carrying out other work, including replacing conventional track under the riverbed.

The work will take place day and night until June 18.

For the first six weeks there are no trains between Wirral and Liverpool.

Merseytravel is warning journey times will take around 20 minutes longer than usual - more at peak times.

Cross-river commuters are advised to avoid travelling at peak times if possible and to stick to public transport.

Loop line track renewal work is being carried out in three phases.

Jan Chaudhry-Van Der Velde, Merseyrail's managing director was among commuters at Birkenhead North Station earlier this morning.

Assessing the works' impact on travellers He told the Globe: "It's gone pretty smoothly so far. Passenger numbers are somewhat lower than they would be on a normal working week.

"Nobody ever wants engineering work to be done, but we reached the point with Network Rail when they convinced us this was the least disruptive way of doing it.

"It's six months of work, but don't forget train services will be running under the river after the first six weeks of work.

"It will take a bit longer to get across the river in the first six weeks, but we've got to demonstrate that we can keep the city region moving during these big engineering work periods."

Loop line track renewal work is being carried out in three phases.

Phase 1 begins today, here's all the details...

Travelling from Wirral New Brighton & West Kirby

If you travel from New Brighton or West Kirby, all trains will terminate at Birkenhead North.

There will be timetable alterations and a 30 minute service will run on both the New Brighton and West Kirby lines throughout the work.

Six car trains will run when possible to maintain the number of seats available.

Chester & Ellesmere Port

If you travel from Chester or Ellesmere Port, all trains will terminate at Birkenhead Central.

If you travel from Ellesmere Port, Overpool or Little Sutton, you will need to change at Hooton for services to Birkenhead Central between 07:12 and 18:12, Monday to Saturday.

Outside these hours, trains will run through to Birkenhead Central.

Small timetable alterations will be made on both the Chester and Ellesmere Port lines throughout the work.

Rail Replacement Buses

High quality rail replacement buses will run directly between Birkenhead North and Liverpool, and Birkenhead Central and Liverpool. Buses will stop at Moorfields and St George’s Hall on Lime Street.

Replacement buses will be scheduled to connect with train services at Birkenhead North and Birkenhead Central. Waiting time will be kept to a minimum and at peak times buses will fill up and go to keep you on the move.

If you travel to Birkenhead Park, Conway Park or Hamilton Square, Birkenhead rail replacement buses will run between Birkenhead North and Birkenhead Central as shown in the map below.

Travelling between North & South Wirral

If your journey normally involves changing between Wirral line services at Hamilton Square, Birkenhead rail replacement buses will link the stations as shown in the map below.

Travelling from Liverpool - Rail Replacement Buses

If you travel from Liverpool to Wirral, you will need to catch a rail replacement bus to either Birkenhead North, where trains to New Brighton and West Kirby will start or Birkenhead Central, where trains to Chester and Ellesmere Port will start.

Rail replacement buses will pick up at Moorfields and St George’s Hall on Lime Street, before travelling non-stop to either Birkenhead North or Birkenhead Central.

Buses to Birkenhead North and buses to Birkenhead Central will leave every 15 minutes at a minimum. At peak times buses will fill up and go to keep you on the move.

If you travel to Birkenhead Park, Conway Park or Hamilton Square, Birkenhead rail replacement buses will run between Birkenhead North and Birkenhead Central as shown in the map below.

New Brighton & West Kirby

If you travel towards New Brighton or West Kirby, there will be timetable alterations and a 30 minute service will run on both the New Brighton and West Kirby lines throughout the work.

Six car trains will run when possible to maintain the number of seats available.

Chester & Ellesmere Port

If you travel to Ellesmere Port, Overpool or Little Sutton, you will need to change at Hooton between 06:56 and 19:26, Monday to Saturday. Outside these hours, trains will run through to Ellesmere Port.

Small timetable alterations will be made on both the Chester and Ellesmere Port lines throughout the work.

Phase 2: Monday February 13 – Monday May 29

For 15 weeks, all Wirral line trains will start and finish at James Street station from Monday to Friday. At weekends, all services will start and terminate at Birkenhead North and Birkenhead Central stations. Rail replacement buses will run between Wirral and Liverpool stations at weekends.

Phase 3: Tuesday May 30 – Sunday June 18

For 20 days, all Wirral line trains will start and terminate at Birkenhead North and Birkenhead Central. Express rail replacement buses will run between these stations and Liverpool.

Among commuters getting off a rail replacement bus at Central Station in Birkenhead was Pat Smith, a civil servant from Crosby.

She said: "The buses were there straight away when we got off at Moorfields and then when it stopped at Lime Street I'm sat on there for 10 minutes before it moved off.

"But it was okay coming through the tunnel, it wasn’t too bad.

"It's going to add an extra half an hour to my journey to work each day. It’s a long journey.

"Obviously, it's a good thing for this work to happen, because it's been 40 years.

"It's just a shame there’s no other way of doing it maybe one track at a time or something like that.”

Lisa Johnson, from Wallasey, was among those waiting for a connecting bus at Birkenhead North.

She added: "I'd say other people would find this equally as annoying as I find it, but I know the work's got to be done."

Peter Fletcher, a regular customer of Merseyrail said: "I'm not at work yet, I've got another train to get.

"It's been alright, it was really quick for me – as soon as I got off at Moorfields it came straight away so it’s been quite smooth for me so far.

"I always travel by train from Liverpool to Bebington."

Deputy managing director for Merseyrail Andy Heath told the Globe: "So far so good, of course there’s a lot of planning which has gone into the first day of a 26-week programme. 

"We do appreciate that engineering work like this does cause inconvenience to our customers unfortunately the scale of the work is that it has to be done in a big block in terms of economies of scale in trying to get it done and we have to ensure that we minimise the impact on the customers as much as we can but also recognised and appreciate that this could cause inconvenience."

"By a large it has been extremely positive particularly in terms of when people hear the phrase the dreaded 'rail replacement bus service' they have their vision about standing and waiting for buses – not in Merseyrail’s case, they never arrive and the queue of buses you see here it’s gone down very well."