A new, more convenient era has begun for passengers as Tap & Go is now available using contactless bank cards, smartphones and smartwatches across the Merseyrail network.
Backed by a £10m investment from Mayor Steve Rotheram and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, the introduction of smart ticketing marks a major step forward in building a modern, 21st century transport system that is faster, simpler and better connected.
Passengers can now tap in at the start of their journey and tap out at their destination using the same contactless card or mobile device. Where rail gates are in place, customers can use them as normal, while platform validators are available at stations without gates.
The new system is designed to ease pressure on ticket office queues during peak times and ensure passengers always pay the cheapest available fare for their journey. By automatically calculating the best price, Tap & Go makes travelling across the network more straightforward than ever.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region,said:
“This is a long overdue step forward in bringing our transport network up to the standard people rightly expect in 2026. Contactless payments are the norm in other major cities like London or Paris, so it’s only right that people in the Liverpool City Region have a system that’s simpler, more flexible and better suited to modern life.
“With contactless payments, we’re making it easier than ever for people to move around our region, without worrying about rush-hour queues or calculating the best possible fare. Crucially, this is about giving people a choice: our ticket offices will remain open for the many passengers who rely on them every day.
“However, today marks the start of a new era for public transport in the Liverpool City Region – but it’s not the end of the journey. As we take greater public control of our transport network will be able to deliver a single unified, seamless ticketing system across our trains, buses and ferries that makes travelling by public transport as fast, easy, cheap and convenient as possible.”
And the Combined Authority can also confirm that Merseyrail fares will be frozen in line with the national policy on rail fares until March 2027.
Mayor Rotheram added:
“We’ve transformed our local rail network in recent years. Since I was elected, we’ve introduced a £500m fleet of publicly owned, state-of-the-art trains, opened new stations and delivered the kind of investment our area deserves. Freezing Merseyrail fares is another step forward as we continue to strengthen and modernise our network.
“As a devolved railway, we have the ability to make decisions locally and respond quickly for our communities. Bringing our fares into line with the national freeze means passengers here will benefit in exactly the same way – and it shows how devolution allows us to work constructively alongside government while putting local priorities first.
“This builds on everything we’re already doing – from our £2 bus fare cap to the most generous concessionary travel scheme in the country – to create a fully integrated, London-style transport system that’s affordable, reliable and designed around the 1.6 million people who call our city region home.”
Importantly, the rollout provides greater flexibility. Customers who prefer to use their existing MetroCard can continue to do so, while ticket offices will remain open for those wishing to purchase paper tickets.
The launch represents another milestone in the Mayor’s plans to modernise public transport and create a seamless, passenger-focused travel experience. By making rail travel easier and more accessible, the scheme also supports ambitions to encourage more people out of their cars and help the region move towards its net zero target by 2035.
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