Passengers with a Liverpool city region MetroCard will be able to ‘tap and go’ on Merseyrail from this summer with volunteers wanted for a pilot ahead of the full roll-out. Tony McDonough reports

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Merseyrail will roll out its ‘tap and go’ payment system on the network this summer.

This will mean passengers with a MetroCard linked to their bank account will be able to tap their card at the start and the end of their journeys and will be charged the best value fare which will be calculated automatically.

Phase two of the roll-out, due to take place later in 2025, will allow passengers to use their bank card, or devices such as phones or watches, without the need for a MetroCard. This is similar to the system already in use on London Underground.

Ahead of the full summer launch the Combined Authority and Merseyrail are looking for up to 50 volunteers to test the ease of the system in a pilot project. People can apply to take part by completing the form on the Merseyrail website at www.merseyrail.org

Tap and go will speed up journeys as people will no longer have to queue at ticket offices to buy tickets. The CA also insists it will save people money as daily and weekly caps will ensure passengers are charged the best value ticket.

Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram 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“For too long, passengers in our region have been forced to contend with an outdated, antiquated and fragmented ticketing system that simply doesn’t work in their favour.

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“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 a modern, future-facing city region like ours.”