Frequently Asked Questions

You can use the Journey Planner, linked on every page of the www.merseyrail.org website to find out about train times and fares. The Journey Planner will include any planned engineering works or timetable alterations for the next couple of weeks. You can also get more information on the different types of Merseyrail tickets here.

Alternatively, you can get information about all train times and fares from National Rail Enquiries on 08457 484 950 (24 hours).

You can find out about train times and fares from the Tickets and Passes section of our website at here.

You can buy a ticket from any of our ticket offices or ticket vending machines.  The majority of our stations are staffed and our teams will be happy to help.

You can pay for your ticket with cash, card, contactless and Apple Pay.  We accept all major credit and debit cards for payment. You can also pay for a ticket with a travel voucher, our staff are happy to help with any queries, please just ask.

Children can travel free of charge up to the age of 5. Children aged 5 to 15 need to buy a child ticket. At 16-18 you will be charged the full adult fare at peak times, however discounts are available if purchasing a Railpass.  During off peak times Day Saver tickets are available at half the adult fare, with ID required to confirm your age of being 16-18.  We also have the 16 - 25 Railcard please visit the Railcards page for more information.

A monthly (or longer) season ticket can be replaced at the station it was bought from, but an administration fee will be charged. Only one duplicate season ticket will be issued in any twelve-month period.

7-day season tickets can't be replaced.

It's best to check your tickets when you buy them. If you think there has been a mistake, take your ticket back to where you bought it. Some advance tickets have restrictions on exchanges and these will be explained to you when you buy them.

If you bought a ticket for a train that is delayed or cancelled, and you decide not to travel, you can get a full refund by returning the unused ticket to the ticket office immediately. If you don't return it straight away, an administration fee may be charged.

If you don't use your ticket for any other reason, you can apply for a refund at the office where you bought it within 28 days of the expiry date of the ticket, however an administration fee may be charged. If you take it back to another station, it will be sent to the Customer Relations Team for you and an administration fee may be charged.

Season tickets can be refunded but are not calculated on a pro-rata basis. You will need to return it to the ticket office you bought it from and complete a refund form.

Any refund must be paid out in the same way the ticket was paid for. For example, if you paid by credit card, your refund will go back on to your credit card. It can't be paid back to you in cash.

Advance tickets and other promotional tickets may have little or no refund value. When you buy an advance ticket you will be told if there are any conditions affecting exchange or refunds.

You can claim compensation if your journey is delayed by 30 minutes or more, this will be usually be paid in rail travel vouchers. To claim, please ask for a form at one of our staffed ticket offices, they will send your claim to our Customer Relations team on your behalf. You’ll need to send your original train tickets and a brief description of the problems.  You can send the form directly to us at:

Freepost MERSEYRAIL CUSTOMER RELATIONS
Merseyrail
BR Properties
Rail House
Lord Nelson Street
LIVERPOOL
L1 1JF

You can also download a compensation form here.

Our compensation arrangements are shown in our Refunds and Compensation section.

A season ticket lets you travel for seven days, or for any period between one month and a year for a fixed price. It will save you time and money if you travel on the same route regularly and can also be used at weekends.

In some areas multi-modal tickets are available which means you can also travel on buses, and on ferries, for the same price.

Click here for more information on Season Tickets.

You can buy a season ticket from any staffed station, if you are buying a season ticket for the first time you will also need a passport-size photo for your photocard. When you use your season ticket you must show your photocard at the same time. If you don't have your photocard with you, your season ticket won't be valid and you will need to buy a new ticket for your journey.

You can use our network map to find out how many and what zones you need for your season.   

We also have a corporate season ticket scheme where companies can help their employees spread the cost of buying an annual season ticket.

If you are renewing your ticket so that it will start straight after your old one has expired:

You can renew 7-day season tickets at ticket offices. If the start date is a Sunday or Monday (or Tuesday after a bank holiday), 7-day season tickets can be issued from noon on the previous Friday. If the start date is another day, the ticket can be issued after noon on the previous day.

Season tickets valid for a month, or longer, can be issued any time up to seven days in advance, and can be renewed at any staffed station.

If you are renewing your ticket and there is a day or longer in between the end of one ticket and the start of your new one:

7-day season tickets can be issued on the start date, or if the start date is a Monday (or Tuesday after a bank holiday) the ticket can be issued from 6am on the previous Sunday. You can renew 7-day season tickets at staffed ticket offices.

Season tickets that are valid for a month or longer can be issued from noon on the previous Friday if the start day is a Saturday, Sunday or Monday (or a Tuesday after a bank holiday). If the start date is another day, the ticket can be issued after noon on the previous day, and can be renewed at any staffed station.

You can take your bike on any Merseyrail train if there is space. All trains can accommodate up to two bikes and space is allocated on a first come, first served basis - we can't reserve space for bicycles.

There is no extra charge for bringing your bike. 

Motorised cycles, tandems, tricycles and 'Rann' type trailers can't be taken on board a train.

Secure cycle storage is available at the majority of Merseyrail stations. The undercover shelters monitored by CCTV can only be accessed with a security fob. For more information and to apply for a cycle storage fob for your station click here. 

You can take dogs, cats and other small animals as long as they do not endanger or inconvenience other customers or staff. Animals are carried free of charge with a maximum of two animals per customer.

Dogs must be kept on a lead at all times unless they are in a pet carrier.

Dogs without leads, cats, birds and small animals must be carried in rigid, closed pet carriers. Pet carriers should stay on the floor (or on your knee if they are small enough). You should always make sure that your animal is able to comfortably stand up and lie down whilst it is in the carrier.

Under the railway byelaws, we can refuse to take any animal. If another customer objects to its presence, you and your animal must move to another part of the train.

If your mobility scooter is within the dimensions considered for health and safety reasons then you can take it on the train, they are:

Height             43”/109cms

Length             48”/120cms

Width               28”/70cms

Weight             250kilos (including occupant)

Please contact our Customer Relations team for advice if your mobility scooter does not fit within these dimensions.

Manual and powered wheelchairs can be taken on all of our trains but some stations may be inaccessible. Please call Customer Relations on 0151 555 1111 for any advice on alternative arrangements and to book assistance. You can also check the accessibility of any station here.

Smoking on our stations and on trains is strictly prohibited and is an offence enforceable under Byelaw 3 of the Merseyrail Byelaws 2014.

We politely request you adhere to the same guidelines in relation to ‘E Cigarettes’. 

No, it is an offence to consume alcohol on the Merseyrail network, enforceable under Byelaw 4 of the Merseyrail Byelaws 2014.

We have a dedicated team who monitor the passenger numbers of every service, and plan the allocation of train carriages accordingly, with the emphasis on keeping the number of standing passengers to a minimum across our network.

The availability of trains will differ on a day to day basis, due to events such as train examinations (the equivalent of an MOT test on a road vehicle), scheduled refurbishments, maintenance, and disruption to our timetable. Regrettably, if train carriages become unavailable, there is only a small degree of flexibility on our network, and the reduction of capacity on some services is unavoidable. We'd rather run the service than have to cancel trains. Our aim is to keep our customers on the move.

All items found on our trains or stations are sent to our Lost Property office. Please click here for contact details and more information. 

Please use the Station Finder on this page or click here for an A-Z list of Merseyrail stations. You will find a list of facilities and station information on each page. 

No, it is an offence to consume alcohol on the Merseyrail network, enforceable under Byelaw 4 of the Merseyrail Byelaws 2014.

Smoking is permitted on our surface stations, accept in areas displaying a ‘prohibited’ instruction, for example Station Booking Hall or Customer Waiting Shelter. Smoking on our underground stations and on trains is strictly prohibited and is an offence enforceable under Byelaw 3 of the Merseyrail Byelaws 2014.

We politely request you adhere to the same guidelines in relation to ‘E Cigarettes’.

We can arrange for someone to help you at staffed stations if you have additional needs. Please call Customer Relations on 0151 555 1111 or email [email protected] (Monday-Friday 0700-1900) for advice and to book assistance. The service is free of charge.  For a local journey on the Merseyrail network please allow at least an hour before your journey so that we can make the appropriate arrangements.  You can also check the access and facilities for each station here.

Outside of our office hours please contact us on 0151 702 2704.

If your mobility scooter is within the dimensions considered for health and safety reasons then you can take it on the train, they are:

Height              43”/109cms

Length             48”/120cms

Width               28”/70cms

Weight             250kilos (including occupant)

Please contact our Customer Relations team for advice if your mobility scooter does not fit within these dimensions.

Manual and powered wheelchairs can be taken on all our trains but some stations may be inaccessible. Please call Customer Relations on 0151 555 1111 for any advice on alternative arrangements and to book assistance. You can also check the accessibility of any station.

No, bicycles are not permitted on board replacement bus services.

Yes; assistance animals are permitted at all times, and domestic animals are subject to the bus driver agreeing that it is safe to carry them.

Yes, providing that the space has not been taken by another pram or wheelchair. Normally one per bus. 

Yes, all buses are accessible. If there are any on the day problems, Merseyrail staff or the bus supervisor will arrange alternative transport.

If you would like to speak to the assisted travel team about your requirements, please call 0800 0277 347 or 0151 702 2071 (Textphone). Alternatively, call our local rate number which is 0151 555 1111.

Please note the numbers above is only available between 7am and 7pm Monday  to Friday, if you need to book outside of these times please call 0151 702 2704

You can download our Accessible Travel Policy here.

Yes, subject to size and space. If not staff will arrange alternative transport.

This is subject to how much luggage is already on the bus and if the driver deems it safe to carry.

Most food is usually allowed. However, hot food and alcohol are not allowed. 

You need a ticket to travel but if the station is unstaffed, the bus company will allow customers to get on with a reminder that they should purchase a ticket at the end of the bus journey.

Unfortunately not, as these are normal service buses without toilets. 

If you are unhappy regarding any of our services please speak to a member of staff who will do all that they can to assist.  Should you wish to submit a complaint you can:

• Complete a complaints form here.
• Ask for a form from one of our staffed ticket offices
• Email our Customer Relations team on [email protected]

We welcome any comments regarding our services, staff and facilities and actively encourage our Customers to let us know how we are doing. The Customer Relations team can be contacted on:

Tel: 0151 555 1111 / Fax: 0151 702 2413
E-mail: [email protected]
Website contact form
Twitter: @merseyrail 

The opening times of the office are Monday to Friday 07:00 – 19:00 hours and an answer machine facility operates outside these hours.

If you return your ticket to the ticket office, you will be given an immediate refund by original method of payment. 

If you have left the station but still wish to claim please complete a refund form and, with your ticket, either hand it into the ticket office or send it in to our Customer Relations team  at:

Freepost MERSEYRAIL CUSTOMER RELATIONS
Merseyrail 
BR Properties
Rail House 
Lord Nelson Street
LIVERPOOL
L1 1JF

You can also get a refund form from any staffed ticket office.

You can download a claim form, downloadable here, or email our customer relations team on [email protected] or by post to:

Freepost MERSEYRAIL CUSTOMER RELATIONS
Merseyrail 
BR Properties
Rail House 
Lord Nelson Street
LIVERPOOL
L1 1JF

Please attach any relevant tickets or scanned copies with your claim. You can also ask for a form at any staffed station.    

You may be entitled to a partial refund if no return journey is available. Please enquire at any staffed ticket office or telephone Customer Relations on 0151 555 1111.

You can make a claim under the terms of the Merseyrail Passengers’ Charter when your ticket expires. Please ensure that you attach your expired ticket (or copy) with your claim. Download the Passenger Charter Refund Form here. 

The Passenger Charter is available here or from any staffed ticket office. Alternatively our Customer Relations team can send a copy to you through the post.