Tap-and-go contactless payments announced for Liverpool City Region’s Merseyrail network

Credit: Liverpool City Region

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, has announced that tap-and-go contactless payments will be arriving on the Merseyrail network.

The new tap-and-go system will accept contactless payments and will give passengers the best price for their journey. It also means that they don’t need to worry about buying tickets in advance or working out which is the best ticket for their journey.

The move is part of plans to inject almost £10 million in revolutionising public transport ticketing across the Liverpool City Region, reinforcing the Mayor’s commitment to provide a ‘London-style’ transport system and making journeys smoother, quicker and more affordable for all.

The upgrade is also designed to encourage more people out of their cars and on to buses, trains and ferries. This, in turn, will help to improve air quality and support the city region’s ambition to be net zero carbon by 2040, a full decade ahead of national government targets.

Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotheram, said: “Travelling on public transport should be simple, especially when it comes to how people pay for their journey. Yet, the reality is that our current ticketing system is no longer equipped to meet the demands of a growing 21st century city region like ours.

“I understand people’s frustrations about the current system, and that’s why we’ve been working towards introducing a more simplified ticketing structure, but increasing public demand has meant that we’re now accelerating our plans.

“By upgrading our current paper ticketing with a new and improved smart system, we can make it easier and quicker for people to get from A to B. The tap-and-go contactless system that we’re introducing will unlock so many benefits for our region, removing the need for unnecessary queues, ensuring that no one spends more than they need to get around our region – and protecting revenue streams for further investment in improvements.

“London shows how well it can work – and I want to build a similar system in our area that makes ticketing easier, quicker and cheaper and, most importantly, works in favour of passengers, not profit.”

Plans are progressing to ensure that the infrastructure and technology are in place ahead of the launch of the service.

Arriving in two phases, tap-and-go will be available at all Merseyrail stations for passengers using a Metro Card linked to their bank account from Autumn 2024. The second phase will launch in 2025 and will see passengers able to use their bank card, or devices such as phones or watches, without the need for a MetroCard.

Passengers will need to tap in at the beginning and end of their journey to ensure a lowest price fare promise – capped daily and weekly through the smart system. They will also still be able to buy season tickets, as well as daily and return tickets from rail stations and online via the Metro Portal, if they wish.