Political Editor Liam Thorp has returned to his daily commute and is keen to see something happen on the Merseyrail network soon
Regular readers of my rantings will know that I am usually a frequent user of the Merseyrail network. I like to consider myself a critical friend of the operator – although I’m not sure the team over there always see it that way.
On the whole I think large parts of this region are served fairly well by its rail network – with a few crucial caveats. I am fortunate that I live close to a station and I also work close to a station, so for me the service is reliable and usually quite efficient. There are big sections of the region that do not have this convenience, but there are plans to try and change that with a number of new stations in the works.
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It is also fair to say that the roll-out of the much-needed new fleet of Class 777 trains on the network has not been a smooth one. We have seen big periods of disruption and cancellations – especially last year when things got so bad that affected rail users were compensated for their troubles. But the new trains are improving by the day and hopefully in a few months’ time they will be fully rolled out and working well.
As you may have read in another recent article of mine, I have only just returned to work after a joyous four weeks of shared parental leave where I was looking after my baby son. It was a hugely enjoyable time. During that period I barely used public transport as I stomped my way around south Liverpool, pushing a pram around the place.
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So when I returned to the daily commute last week, I was a little unprepared. Usually I purchase a monthly pass for Merseyrail, but with my return coming a week before payday and our young family’s finances in a bit of a mess and a, I had to wait until I renewed the pass for the month. This left me in the dangerous position of daily ticket purchases.
Now this is something I have moaned about before but I must do again having been plunged deep into the trauma of the Merseyrail ticket system. It is frankly astounding that in 2024 we have a rail network for a major conurbation that does not employ tap and go contactless technology.
And it is more than a little inconvenient, it can be disastrous. On my first day back in the office as I rushed from dropping my son for his very first day of nursery – I hurtled to my local station just in time for my train. I had forgotten that I did not have a pass on this occasion and when I turned the corner to see a long queue snaking out of the station I knew I was in trouble.
Thankfully, as the train arrived – the only service that could get me into work on time – a kind ticket office operative told me that if I needed to make this journey I could pay for my ticket at Moorfields Station, where I would be alighting. That was good of him, but it again just made me wonder whether I had been transported back a few decades. It wasn’t the only near-miss I faced this week.
None of this is to say that we should not have ticket offices at stations by the way, I think they are really important and we backed the successful campaign that blocked the previous government from closing many across the country – including here in Merseyside. But the use of tap and go technology alongside the ticket offices is now essential for a successful, modern public transport network.
The good news is that it is finally arriving. It is now just a question of when. Earlier this year, it was announced that from this autumn, the first phase of the implementation of the new technology would be live, meaning passengers will be able to use Merseyrail Metro cards linked to their bank accounts to tap and travel.
A second phase next year will then allow passengers to simply tap their own bank cards or phones in order to travel, as is done in other major cities like London and Manchester. As we head quickly into the autumn period – and still reeling from my stressful week of near-misses – I asked the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority for an update on whether they are on course to install this new technology on the Merseyrail network soon.
A spokesperson said: “Travelling on public transport should be simple, especially when it comes to how people pay for their journey. That’s why we’ve been working towards introducing a more simplified ticketing structure to meet public demand as part of Mayor Rotheram’s vision for a public transport system that is easier to use and more affordable.
“Making sure the infrastructure and technology are in place is key for us. Phase 1 of our Tap and Go service on the Merseyrail network, allowing Metro Cards to be used to tap and go, has passed key milestones over the summer enabling us to move to the next stages of the project, including testing.
“A new and improved smart system will make it easier and quicker for people to get from A to B. It’s also about unlocking so many benefits for our region while removing the need for unnecessary queues – and protecting revenue streams for further investment in improvements.” Lets hope it happens soon, for the sake of my ageing heart at least.
