COVID-19 FAQs

From 27 January, the advice regarding wearing face coverings will change. We encourage passengers to continue to wear face coverings whilst travelling on our network out of respect for others

Please see our travel advice below and click here to see what has changed at Merseyrail to keep your journey as safe as possible. 

• To protect yourself and others, you must wear a face covering unless exempt. Fines may apply. This applies to both within Merseyrail stations and on trains.
• Use contactless payments where possible
• Wash or sanitise hands as soon as possible before and after travel
• Follow advice from staff and be considerate to other passengers
• Do not use public transport if you, or a member of your household, has COVID-19 symptoms or you have been instructed to self-isolate

Click here for full details of our current timetable.

To read the complete government advice on travel in England click here.

As we move out of lockdown, it is possible that this timetable may change again in the near future. We advise all passengers to check our website and Twitter account @merseyrail before travel for the most up-to-date information.

In making changes to the timetable, our planning team have had to balance the needs of our customers, taking into account where and when most passengers board and alight our services.

We will of course ensure that any passenger comments are included as part of any future review of the timetable arrangements in line with the changing nature of the pandemic.

We remain able to provide assistance to those that need it, however, in these circumstances we’d advise passengers to contact our dedicated Assisted Travel team in advance to ensure their journey is as smooth as possible.

Customers requiring assistance should not notice any difference in the support provided when they travel with us.

You can find more information and contact details here.

We are doing as much as we can to keep our staff and passengers safe by following government guidance.

We are cleaning trains and stations throughout the day, every day using specialist cleaning products that kill pathogens on surfaces. We are carrying out overnight deep cleans, as well as additional quality assurance procedures and spot checks to ensure that our cleaning processes are consistent and completed to the highest standard. 

There are also increased cleaning teams working on weekends in response to when more passengers are travelling.

The number of passengers on each train is being closely monitored so that 6-car services can be timetabled where they are needed most.

To protect yourself and others, you must wear a face covering unless exempt. Fines may apply. This applies to both within Merseyrail stations and on trains.

If you have any queries please ask a member of our stations team who will be happy to help. 

We are strongly encouraging everyone that needs to purchase a ticket to help us to reduce unnecessary contact by making a contactless payment where possible.

If people need to use cash, we ask that they buy tickets from ticket machines if possible.

Full details of claiming a refund can be found here.

For Trio or Solo refunds please contact Merseytravel in the first instance by emailing [email protected].

At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic we did close waiting rooms across our network, however these are now open.

Ticket offices and toilet facilities are also now open. Where ticket offices need to temporarily close this will be highlighted on the relevant station website page. 

We encourage people to carry their own hand sanitiser where possible, however they are available to purchase in our Mtogo stores. 

Our busiest trains are currently those around the peak time periods of 07.00-09.30 and 16.00-18.30 Monday to Friday. If you are travelling, you may wish to travel on a quieter train and avoid these periods. You should bear in mind that some trains may also be busier at other times so we would advise passengers to plan ahead and leave extra time for their journey as you may choose not to board a train and wait for the next if a train is full.

Please ensure you have alternative transport plans if you wish to travel on the last train of the day, as it may be full and you may feel unable to board.

Due to roadworks in Liverpool City Centre as part of Liverpool City Council’s Connectivity Scheme, rail replacement buses will no longer stop Liverpool Lime Street. They will be stopping at Moorfields and James Street only (depending on which services are affected) to minimise disruption to rail replacement bus services. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

To protect yourself and others, you must wear a face covering unless exempt. Fines may apply. This applies to both within Merseyrail stations and on trains.

From 27 January, we encourage passengers to continue to wear face coverings whilst travelling on our network out of respect for others. 

More information on the government guidance can be found here.

Passengers must wear a face covering while using public transport unless they are exempt. All customers travelling on Merseyrail must wear a face covering both within our stations and on our trains.

You should visit www.gov.uk for the latest guidance on masks and coverings. We do have a range of masks for sale at all staffed ticket offices, however we do expect most passengers to bring their own.

We know that some passengers have illnesses or disabilities that prevent them from wearing a face covering. These include:

• Breathing difficulties
• Conditions affecting dexterity
• Mental health conditions such as anxiety or panic disorders
• Autism
• Dementia
• Visual impairments or with a restricted field of vision
• Anyone reliant on lip reading – including companions or carers for whom a face covering would impede their ability to communicate

In line with government guidance (which can be found here) you will still be able to travel without the need for a covering but should continue to follow all social distancing guidance and hygiene measures where you can do so.

You may still be approached by a member of our team and asked why you are not wearing a face covering. You may choose to use one of our face covering exemption cards which you can show to a member of staff when necessary.

More information on face covering exemption cards is available here. 

Children under the age of 11 do not have to wear face coverings but may of course do so, should they wish to.

Our team will be wearing face coverings where appropriate. In line with government guidance our ticket office staff, located behind glass, will not need to wear a covering, nor will drivers or guards when they are alone in their compartments on train. Please bear in mind that some staff may also have medical conditions or disabilities that mean they can’t wear one.

The government guidance regarding face coverings has been updated. To protect yourself and others, you must wear a face covering unless exempt. Fines may apply. This applies to both within Merseyrail stations and on trains.

We are continuing to ask that passengers act in a respectful manner towards each other and our staff at all times whilst travelling with us. We are confident that the vast majority of people are going to want to do the right thing and help protect others by bringing a face covering and wearing it while in stations and on trains.

If our team see a customer without a face covering, our staff will engage, explain, and encourage them to wear a face covering. We have processes in place to deal with such circumstances. If you do have any concerns, please do speak to a member of staff in the first instance.

Please do not confront other passengers who are not wearing a face covering. Please be aware that some passengers may not be able to wear a mask due to a medical condition. 

We are cleaning trains and stations throughout the day, every day using specialist cleaning products that kill pathogens on surfaces. We are carrying out overnight deep cleans, as well as additional quality assurance procedures and spot checks to ensure that our cleaning processes are consistent and completed to the highest standard. 

There are also increased cleaning teams working on weekends in response to when more passengers are travelling.

The number of passengers on each train is being closely monitored so that 6-car services can be timetabled where they are needed most.