Merseyrail passengers fume at 'mad' train ticket price increase

Merseyrail commuters woke up to increased ticket prices this morning as a six-month price freeze came to an end.

Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram announced the hold in February, ahead of the country-wide increase to rail fares. At the time, Mr Rotheram said the move was ‘yet another demonstration of how we are doing things differently’. The price freeze was funded by money ‘clawed back’ from train manufacturer Stadler, after issues and delays with Merseyrail’s new fleet.

Ticket prices across the country rose by 4.9% on March 3 - including services from Liverpool operated by Avanti, Northern, TransPennine Express and Transport for Wales - but services across the Merseyrail network were safeguarded from similar increases, for a six month period.

That period has now ended and Merseyrail fares increased by nearly 5% on Sunday (September 15), with many commuters noticing the change on Monday (September 16). The rail provider said the price changes account for the ‘increasing cost of running a city-region metro rail service’ but added that fares on Merseyrail ‘will remain some of the most affordable in the UK’.

Angry passengers took to X (formerly Twitter) to discuss the price rise, with one user addressing Merseyrail: “Can I ask was there an announcement/post that fares were rising?” In response, the rail provider said the information was advertised on its website and X account.

Another passenger commented: “Mad that @merseyrail can increase ticket prices by 50p from Maghull North when the trains are barely ever on time, the station completely floods every time it rains and the ticket office is always cash only. Joke.”

Tagging Merseyrail, another X user said: “You'd think for the new increased daysaver fare we'd at least have access to toilet facilities and shelter from the rain but no, in Ellesmere Port, not with Merseyrail.”

In a statement, Greg Suligowski, Head of Customer Strategy at Merseyrail said: ”The six-month price freeze on Merseyrail journeys, announced by the Liverpool City Region Mayor, came to an end on Saturday 14 September.

“The price freeze has been in place since March and has resulted in a cheaper fare for 10 million journeys across the Liverpool City Region. Despite the price freeze coming to an end, there are still a range of great value tickets available to customers, depending on their travel needs.”

The changes have seen the price of an All Areas Day Saver increase from £5.95 to £6.20, a child’s All Areas Day Saver increase from £2.95 to £3.10 and a Skelmersdale Train Link single increase from £6.60 to £6.85.

Prices of Saveaway, TRIO and Railpass that includes travel on Merseyrail’s City Line increased in March and are not impacted and the price of the Merseyrail Family Ticket has been frozen. Full details of price changes are available via Merseyrail’s website.