Customers are 'fuming' after Merseyrail hikes prices

Emily Carubia

16 September 2024 at 3:03 pm·2-min read

Many are outraged by the near 5% increase — -Credit: (Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)

Merseyrail has increased ticket prices by nearly 5% following a six-month price freeze. Back in March, regulated train fares in England rose by 4.9%, but that rise did not initially come in for the Merseyrail network.

Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram announced that there would be a price freeze on the network for six months in a bid to help people with the cost of living. However, that period is now over, and the price hike came into force for Merseyrail passengers on Sunday.

Merseyrail said that ticket prices are now increasing to account for the rising cost of running a city-region metro rail service. The rail operator insists that even with these increases, Merseyrail ticket prices will remain some of the most affordable in the UK.

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. More information on ticketing options can be found on the Merseyrail website”.

However, news of the price hike has left many outraged. One ECHO reader was confused by the increase. He wrote: "If Metro Man can run the trains at the previous cost for six months why do tickets need to go up at all - rail travel in this country is a joke."

Crow 9898 said: "I'm fuming and blown away by such a price hike." Another condemned the "shocking service", saying: "Two cancelled on Friday and you can't get a refund. Just ripping the public.

"Buy your ticket before you get on the train then they cancel the trains leaving you stranded. Shocking service." Parkybrow wrote: "Can't remember the last day all the trains ran on time and none cancelled and then they put the prices up."

One Facebook user defended the price rise. David Smith said: "Merseyrail is cheap. Down south it’s like £9 to go two stops. So £6.70 from Formby to town return peak time is reasonable. It would cost you more than that to drive and it would take twice as long."

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