Merseyrail Reviews 

If you are travelling from outside the area beware of the ticketing process. Especially TRAINLINE or other third party providers. You have to print off your tickets and cannot just buy and scan as usual. The guards also are briefed to fine people even if they are visitors or tourists and don’t know this, have purchased a ticket and just made a mistake. I also spoke with a few people who are regular travellers and they take a picture every day of a ticket office that is closed as they are often accused of lying. Of course you can appeal but it’s unlikely to be successful. I lived in Merseyside for my entire childhood, we watched the trains every day, waved to them and I now do the same with my son. So I am absolutely against fare dodging. But to design a process as a trap, or to design a system that penalises mistakes with a fine? That’s not a world I want to live in.

What a joke, I've only started using the train to and from Southport this season when going to the football, each time trains are cancelled or delayed, they say give local transport a chance, but I can't see why if you can't plan your journey 😤

Brilliant new trains, absolutely ruined by outdated, overpriced ticketing. Arriving from London to Chester to then que to get out of the station to buy a ticket from the kiosk (£5.10 for less than 15 mins) to then go back to the platform you were dropped off at. Have regularly missed trains due to this and got fined £50 despite buying a ticket on Trainline but not printing it out.

What company invest millions in state of the art (excellent) electric trains that still relies on a useless ticketing system from the 1990s. If I’m travelling with someone it’s often quicker and cheaper to take a taxi!

Merseyfail! No better way to put it. Never fail to have a problem, even on new trains. No tap on, tap off so you can miss trains due to having to get a ticket from the kiosk like it’s 1980, something they’d prefer happened as I have been fined before for rushing onto a train I couldn’t miss. Merseyrail is in the past and I would prefer to walk to my destinations than use their useless service.

Love merseyrail. At the moment new clean trains and I'm presently on one to Liverpool. I think the rail attendants need a little more training in customer relations. I've asked my guard a question about WIFI and he reply was a couple of grunts I couldn't understand . However I realise it is early Sunday morning.

Every time it rains the Chester and Ellesmere Port trains are cancelled due to ‘flooding’ this has been on-going for years so why is it not being sorted? There is always a massive que at hooton station for a ticket, by the time you get served you end up missing your train and having to wait 30 minutes for the next, it’s obviously a busy station so having just one staff member serving during rush hour is ridiculous, they seem to have enough staff to walk up and down the trains issuing fines but no staff to actually issue tickets. I travel with Mersey rail 4 days per week and every week there is always an issue, either a cancellation or delayed train. The last month I have drove to work more times than getting the train because Merseyrail are so unreliable.

Would have given 0 but it is not an option.Absolute joke of a company, got reprimanded of an issue which could have been resolved amicably, but was asked to vacate the train because we would not give personal details, obviously wanted to pursue a fine, a group member who was also told to vacate the train at the said station suffered from diabetic shock whilst waiting for a taxi, the individual who asked us to vacate the train, then to show some sort of compassion. The group that were travelling had an average age of 68 so I don't think we were there to cause trouble but just wanted to get home. Could put the individuals number here but will let the authorities deal with this issue, as all the relevant videos of the incident have been sent to the appropriate bodies .
Use this company at your own risk.

Absolutely terrible company. Rarely are trains on time especially west kirby line.
They always have a silly excuse for late
Trains. This doesn’t happen abroad.
Replacement buses always severely late too. Abroad, replacement trains and buses are always there!
Merseyrail, you need to look at quality of rolling stock and operational practices. Stop taking the p…!

I usually rave about how good and efficient this service is - every 15 minutes, quick and convenient.
I don’t use the trains that often but when I have done recently I have had more journeys that have been delayed or cancelled than have not.
It’s the lack of communication that really annoys me. Today’s journey was no exception. I was waiting for a train and the one before was cancelled. Mine I think may have gone to the other platform or been cancelled but nothing was announced via tannoy or via the 5 staff that were on the platform.
I had to wait for the next train.
It’s such a shame that what once was such an efficient service seems now to be very hit and miss.

Merseyrail is clearly using their car parks as a means of income to fund their new trains.
I parked overnight there (which I had done on several occasions without getting a ticket) and received a fine. There was only one small, camouflaged sign in the whole car park which was in between the barriers and only on the way out. I did not walk past this sign so I did not see it. When I disputed, they were incredibly rude and dismissive, not listening to anything I had to say which led me to believe they are trying to catch train users out on purpose. They lied and tried to deceive me every step of the way.
Three weeks after I disputed, they erected another sign which was a 'coincidence' as it apparently had nothing to do with my complaint and was merely put up after their bi-annual review of signage.
There No signage upon entry and I was told I should have checked the website before I parked.
The company is a disgrace, their employees are rude robots trained to treat customers poorly and their behaviour is completely unethical and illogical to loyal customers. I know for a fact that they are using this tactic on everyone as I have seen emails to other people who have disputed that were exactly the same and had copy and pasted exact statements.
I was unlawfully charged with a criminal offense while I was still disputing my case and I spoke to an 'Aaron' on the phone who was perhaps one of the most rude people I've ever had to speak to from a customer relations team.
The people who run this company, along with their employees should all be ashamed of themselves.

Since merseyrail swapped to electric trains and also always short of drivers there's only around a 50 50 chance the train you want will be there and get you to your destination. The kirkby to liverpool constant cancellations are shocking. I'm on a bus right now this time I couldn't get a train not because of the constant breakdowns but because they are short of drivers. I worry every day i won't make it to work

This company is absolutely disgusting. Handing out fines based off pure lies. I encourage anyone reading this to tell everyone you know to NEVER use a merseyrail train ever again.

If I could give a zero rating I would. I travelled with my partner on Merseyrail from Chester to Liverpool. The date was 29th July 2024. This was the first time I had travelled on Merseyrail.
I had a very poorly ankle, on which I had had two sessions of surgery. The last session was a year ago. Due to this my ankle aches and swells up. As such I rested (rested) my left ankle on the seat in front of me. One guard came passed twice guards, he said nothing, then two stops before we were due to alight from the train an inspector approached us. She asked to see our tickets and then asked me for ID. I showed her my driving licence. She then said I'd been caught on CCTV as having me feet (one foot resting) on the seat in front. I apologised but she issued me with what I can only describe as summons. I showed her my ankle to no avail, she was adamant and said I'd contravened a bylaw. I was fined £60. No warning, no signs about this visible, nothing. I found her attitude bullying, confrontational and intimidating. The whole experience was very stressful. I'm 76 and never had so much as a parking ticket! She said I could ring Merseyrail and a number was printed on the summons she printed, but when you ring this it's a number to take payment for the fine! I was so distressed, shaken up, that I paid the fine straight away. I located a number later that day, but, again, I was told categorically that there are no mitigating circumstances. I have since emailed Merseyrail, but I get nowhere. This is just awful! My partner and I use public transport regularly in the south of England and have never experienced this type of treatment.

Staff are rude, confrontational, aggressive, hang out in gangs, hide behind corners and behave in intimidating fashion. Running an obvious Penalty Notice racket. I've seen it all on these tracks, from Staff targeting vulnerable people for Penalty Notices, lying about being present at ticket booths to issue Penalty Notices and laughing between themselves about choosing who gets fined. Avoid unless absolutely necessary.

If I could rate a 0 I would. I use this service Monday to Friday for work during peek times and for the past month it has been nothing but cancellations and disruptions. I definitely want my money back. What’s the point in getting a ticket when you can’t even depart or arrive at the destination of your choice and the time you want. Absolutely awful!

On my way to work this morning, about to leave the train, train doors started closing on me so I backed up, put my arm into the door thinking that motion detectors (similar to elevator doors) would stop them from closing, no the doors just closed on my arm and almost trapped it in the door... on top.of that you can always expect most trains to be running late

rude and unprofessional staff on a power trip - especially at young people. why are you a grown man at your job, huffing and puffing and rolling your eyes at teens just because they nearly missed a train? also trains themself are just unreliable and have frequent issues.

Ticket machine was broken man come up to me took me away from my child after I said it was broken showing I had 20 pound to pay and he read me my rights and said I will get a 400 pound fine I have ptsd and mental health and the way he treated me was nasty and now I have to pay this fine it was not my fault it was broken