There will be no winter sailings to Merseyside this year due to ongoing work at Birkenhead.

The Steam Packet has announced the Ben-my-Chree will be sailing to Heysham with coaches picking up passengers from Liverpool to transfer them to Heysham.

The company was informed that as the work needs to take place at weekends, the berth in the River Mersey will not available to it for the usual winter sailings.

With no other suitable berths available in Merseyside, the 14 timetabled weekend sailings to Birkenhead this year (from November 9 to January 5) will now be rescheduled to Heysham.

The Saturday and Sunday sailings will depart Douglas at 8am and returning from Heysham at 2.30pm.

When the remainder of 2020 schedules are released (in late October) all winter weekend sailings will also be to and from Heysham at the usual timings.

Chief executive Mark Woodward said: ’This is obviously a position beyond our control but to maintain twice daily services to the UK for both passengers and freight this winter, we will instead increase the number of sailings to Heysham at weekends.

’We will also be arranging an express coach service between Heysham and Liverpool on Saturdays and Sundays for foot passengers, arriving in Liverpool around half an hour after the coach would have normally arrived from Birkenhead. A return coach service to Heysham will be arranged, departing Pier Head at 12pm.

’Any existing bookings for Birkenhead will be offered this alternative route, with similar departure timings but a forty-five minutes reduction in crossing time.

’A proportion of passengers and freight customers have stated they prefer Heysham due to its shorter crossing time, rail link and the new direct road link to the M6, so we are hoping any inconvenience will be kept to a minimum.’

The Steam Packet plans to use the Liverpool Pier Head terminal as normal for services operated by fast craft Manannan in 2020.

The new £30m Manx taxpayer funded berth in Liverpool is due to be available in 2021 for both fast craft and conventional services throughout the year.