Merseyrail is looking for up to 50 volunteers to trial a new ‘tap and go’ system that ensures the best fare and eliminates the need to queue for tickets.
The pilot marks a significant move towards Mayor Steve Rotheram’s vision of a London-style transport system and precedes the anticipated full rollout of the Tap & Go system across the Merseyrail network later this year.
The Combined Authority and Merseyrail are looking for keen-eyed volunteers to test the ease of the system which allows passengers to avoid ticket office queues and simply tap in and tap out of their journey using a MetroCard.
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:
“The measure of any 21st century public transport system is how quickly, cheaply and easily it helps passengers get from A to B – and that starts by how people pay for their journey.
“For too long, passengers in our region have been forced to contend with an outdated, antiquated and fragmented ticketing system that simply doesn’t work in their favour.
“Our plans for a new tap-and-go system will make it easier than ever for passengers, removing unnecessary queues and ensuring they never have to pay over the odds to get about our region. We’ve seen how well it can work in places like London – and now it’s time that we built a system befitting of a modern, future-facing city region like ours.”
“Moving to this testing stage is a big step forward towards rolling out this technology which 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.
“We’ve seen how well it works in London and now it’s time that we built our own system to benefit the residents of our city region.”
Suzanne Grant, Chief Commercial Officer & Deputy MD at Merseyrail, said:
“We are delighted to see the start of the public testing phase of Tap & Go.
“Customers have told us they want simpler, more modern ticketing and this pilot marks the start of a retail revolution for Merseyrail.
“With a MetroCard linked to their bank account, customers can enjoy quicker, easier, and better value journeys. When Tap & Go officially launches, our team will be on hand to help customers navigate this exciting new way of paying for their travel.”
The Tap & Go system is the latest in a multi-million-pound investment in smart ticketing across Liverpool City Region’s public transport system.
The system automatically calculates the best value fares based on the passenger’s taps on station gates and platform validators at the start and end of their journey on both a weekly and daily basis.
Not only will it speed up journeys, but it will also leave passengers with more cash in their bank, as daily and weekly caps will ensure passengers are charged the best value ticket – the same fare they would get from a station ticket office.
Passengers are invited to sign up to take part in the pilot by completing the form on the Merseyrail website.
From those who apply, 50 participants will be selected to be some of the first people to use Tap & Go and provide feedback throughout the pilot period.
Arriving in two phases, tap-and-go will be available at all Merseyrail stations for passengers using a MetroCard linked to their bank account from summer this year. The second phase will launch later in 2025 and see passengers able to use their bank card, or devices such as phones or watches, without the need for a MetroCard.
The new system is another way to help and 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 2035.
The Combined Authority is investing in modernising and extending the Merseyrail network to more people and more communities. A new £500m fleet of trains has been introduced and a new station opened at Headbolt Lane, with three further stations planned at Liverpool Baltic, Carr Mill (St Helens), Daresbury (Halton) and Woodchurch (Wirral).
Accessibility has also been improved with the innovative sliding-step technology on the new trains and step-free access from pavement to platform at over 70% of stations in the city region.
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