{{Short description|Former English train operator}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}} {{Use British English|date=February 2018}} {{Infobox rail company |logo = ArrivaClassic.svg |name = Arriva Trains Merseyside |image =507010_at_Capenhurst_on_11th_August_2001.jpg |image_size = 300 |caption = |franchise = Merseyrail<br>19 January 1997 – 20 July 2003 |regions = Merseyside |secregions = Lancashire<br>Cheshire |fleet = 53 |stations = 67 |stationsop = 66 |routekm = |abbr = ME |parent_company = Arriva |website = |websitetitle = |linelength = |tracklength = |notrack = |gauge = |oldgauge = |el = |speed = |elevation = |map = |predecessor=British Rail|successor=Merseyrail}} '''Arriva Trains Merseyside<ref>[http://data.companieshouse.gov.uk/doc/company/03007941 Companies House extract company no 3007941] Arriva Trains Merseyside Limited formerly Merseyrail Electrics Limited</ref>''' was a train operating company in England owned by Arriva that operated the Merseyrail Electrics franchise between January 1997 and July 2003. The company served the Northern Line and Wirral Line of the Merseyrail network, covering Merseyside and parts of Cheshire and Lancashire. It inherited a fleet of Class 507 and Class 508 electric multiple units from British Rail, along with a small number of locomotives and departmental units.
The franchise was originally awarded to MTL in 1997, with operations commencing on 19 January that year. In February 2000, Arriva purchased MTL and rebranded the operation as Arriva Trains Merseyside in April 2001. On 23 April 2003, the franchise was awarded to a joint venture between Serco and Abellio (now known as Transport UK Group), with operations transferring to the new Merseyrail concession on 20 July 2003 under the oversight of the Merseytravel Passenger Transport Executive.
==History== The Merseyrail Electrics franchise was created during the privatisation of British Rail in the mid-1990s. In December 1996, the Director of Passenger Rail Franchising awarded the contract to local transport operator MTL, which at the time also operated bus and other rail services in the Liverpool City Region.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=15 January 1997 |title=Local bus company MTL wins the Merseyrail Electrics franchise |magazine=Rail Magazine |page=11 |issue=296}}</ref> Operations commenced on 19 January 1997 under the retained Merseyrail Electrics brand, using the existing fleet of Class 507 and Class 508 electric multiple units. Services covered the Northern Line and Wirral Line, linking central Liverpool with towns such as Southport, Ormskirk, Kirkby, Ellesmere Port, Chester, and New Brighton.
On 18 February 2000, MTL was purchased by Arriva for £84 million, bringing the franchise under Arriva's control.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=8 March 2000 |title=Arriva buys MTL for £84m |magazine=Rail Magazine |page=13 |issue=378}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Arriva PLC {{!}} Recommended Cash Offer for MTL Services {{!}} FE InvestEgate |url=http://www.investegate.co.uk/articlePrint.aspx?id=200002180730228111F |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006113532/http://www.investegate.co.uk/articlePrint.aspx?id=200002180730228111F |archive-date=2014-10-06 |access-date=2025-08-10 |website=www.investegate.co.uk}}</ref> On 27 April 2001, the operation was formally rebranded as '''Arriva Trains Merseyside'''.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=2 May 2001 |title=Name changes for Arriva TOCs |magazine=Rail Magazine |page=9 |issue=408}}</ref> The company introduced the standard Arriva corporate livery to parts of the fleet, although many trains retained variations of the original Merseyrail yellow scheme. Day-to-day operations and maintenance continued largely unchanged, with servicing carried out at Birkenhead North depot.
In early 2003, the Strategic Rail Authority and Merseytravel restructured the Merseyrail Electrics franchise into a long-term concession model, designed to be tightly integrated with the local transport executive. On 23 April 2003, the contract to operate the concession was awarded to a joint venture between Serco and Abellio (now known as Transport UK Group).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Osborne |first=Alistair |date=24 April 2004 |title=Merseyrail franchise goes Dutch |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/2849849/Merseyrail-franchise-goes-Dutch.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=23 May 2023 |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph}}</ref> Arriva Trains Merseyside ceased operations on 20 July 2003, when the services and rolling stock transferred to the new Merseyrail concessionaire.
==Rolling stock== Arriva Trains Merseyside inherited a fleet of Class 507 and Class 508 electric multiple units from Regional Railways. It also inherited a fleet of Class 73 locomotives and Class 936 EMUs for use on infrastructure trains; these were sold in 2002.
'''Fleet at end of franchise'''
{| class="wikitable" |----- bgcolor="#f9f9f9" ! rowspan="2" |'''Class''' ! rowspan="2" |'''Image''' ! rowspan="2" |'''Type''' ! colspan="2" |'''Top speed''' ! rowspan="2" |'''Number''' ! rowspan="2" |'''Routes operated''' ! rowspan="2" |'''Built''' |----- bgcolor="#f9f9f9" !''' mph ''' !''' km/h ''' |- |507 |100px | align="center" |EMU | align="center" |75 | align="center" |120 | align="center" |32 |Northern Line<br>Wirral Line | align="center" |1978–1980 |- |508/1 |100px | align="center" |EMU | align="center" |75 | align="center" |120 | align="center" |21 |Northern Line<br>Wirral Line | align="center" |1979–1980 |} '''Past fleet'''
{| class="wikitable" |----- bgcolor="#f9f9f9" ! rowspan="2" |Class ! rowspan="2" |Image ! rowspan="2" |Type ! colspan="2" |Top speed ! rowspan="2" |Number ! rowspan="2" |Routes operated ! rowspan="2" |Built |----- bgcolor="#f9f9f9" ! mph ! km/h |- |73 | | align="center" |Loco | align="center" |80 | align="center" |129 | align="center" |4 |Infrastructure train | align="center" |1962 |- |936 |100px | align="center" |EMU | align="center" |60 | align="center" |97 | align="center" |3 |Infrastructure train | align="center" |1955–1956 |}
==Depot== Arriva Trains Merseyside's fleet was maintained at Birkenhead North Depot.
==References== {{Reflist}}
==Further reading== *{{cite magazine |last=Hunt |first=John |date=7–20 October 1998 |title=Sparkies 'cross the Mersey... |magazine=Rail |issue=341 |publisher=EMAP Apex Publications |pages=28–33 |issn=0953-4563 |oclc=49953699}}
{{S-start}} {{S-bef|before=Regional Railways<br>As part of British Rail}} {{S-ttl|title=Operator of Merseyrail franchise|years=1997–2003}} {{S-aft|after=Merseyrail}} {{s-end}}
{{UK TOCs|defunct|state=collapsed}}
Category:Arriva Group companies Category:Defunct train operating companies in the United Kingdom Category:Historic transport in Merseyside Category:Railway companies established in 1997 Category:Railway companies disestablished in 2003 Category:Rail transport in Merseyside Category:1997 establishments in England Category:2003 disestablishments in England