In this inaugural instalment of my new blog series, I’m exploring what I’ve termed Split Routes, with a bit of assistance from Chat GPT! This series will focus on similar routes that diverge, such as 432/433, 413/414, 471/472, and more. I have a lot to cover in this post, including the routes and the journeys themselves.

Starting with the newest bus route, the 414, this was introduced in 2013/14 to take over a service lost when Avon Buses ceased operations. At that time, Avon Buses operated three services: 10, 10A, and 11, which ran to Arrowe Park from New Brighton via Woodchurch. However, the new 414 route goes via Leasowe, Moreton, and Upton before arriving at Arrowe Park.

Above, you can see the two locations where I took the 414 from New Brighton through Liscard, Leasowe, and Moreton, before alighting at Arrowe Park. I spent around half an hour documenting the buses in and out of the hub for a new series on the blog called Local Bus Hubs. The first one is from Sir Thomas Street, So if you haven’t checked it out already, please do so before continuing with this post.

From Arrowe Park, I took the 413, which is the sister route to the 414. They essentially follow each other from Liscard, providing a 15-minute frequency with two half-hourly services, resulting in four buses per hour. Both services also stop at the following stations: Wallasey Village, Leasowe, and Hamilton Square near Woodside Bus Station.

The concept for this new series is to highlight various bus routes, exploring different operators like Stagecoach and Arriva, the two primary ones in Merseyside. Additionally, we will cover A2B and Huyton Travel, the two smaller operators in the area. Another route to consider documenting on the blog is Happy ALS with the 22/22A from West Kirby to Chester.

As shown above at Seacombe Ferry, the start of the 413 will be added to my Woodside Bus Station post, as it also serves this location. The 413 route goes from Seacombe through Liscard via Manor Road, then joins the 414, continuing all the way to Arrowe Park and eventually reaching Woodside. However, the 413 does not stop at Birkenhead Bus Station, whereas I believe the 414 does on its way to Woodside and then New Brighton.

As you can see, both the 413 and 414 have very similar timetables, operating every 30 minutes between their respective destinations. However, on Sundays, the 414 has no service, and the 413 is replaced by the 423, which extends to Liverpool on Sundays and weekday evenings. This is an unusual service, and if you would like me to create a post on the 423 alone, please let me know in the comments below.

The 413 and both the 414 buses stop at Birkenhead Bus Station before continuing to either Seacombe, New Brighton, or Woodside, and vice versa. They also partly follow the same route, as shown in the maps above, and call at Arrowe Park, as I mentioned previously. The aim of this series is to showcase what each route has to offer throughout its journey!

With that said, as we conclude our adventure focusing on the two services operated by Arriva North West, if you’d like to see more of these posts, feel free to subscribe. We’re close to 20 subscribers, which is pretty good going. Additionally, the blog is nearing 3000 total views, which is incredible. Thanks for all the support throughout 2025! Let’s look forward to a new year with more stations, bus stations, and much more!