• Feedback reveals passengers are liking the speed, savings, and simplicity
• Mayor Rotheram hails Tap and Go a “success story” as plans roll on for contactless cards and mobile devices

More than 53,000 journeys have been taken on Merseyrail using the new contactless tap and go system in the first month.

Launched at the start of August 2025, Tap and Go is part of Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram’s commitment to delivering a modern, affordable, and passenger-first public transport system. The system enables passengers to simply tap in and out of stations using their MetroCard, with the confidence they’ll always pay the best value fare, thanks to daily and weekly fare capping.

The rollout has been positively received by both commuters and casual travellers, with passengers citing speed, convenience, and value as major benefits.

So far over 6,000 passengers have signed up to the new system with numbers rising every day.

Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram welcomed the early success of Tap and Go:

“This is a really good news story for everyone who travels across our region. Tap and Go is not just faster and simpler—it’s saving people money, cutting down queues, and making the whole journey experience smoother.

“From commuters to casual travellers, thousands of people are telling us how much easier it makes getting around. We’ve always been clear that we’re building a modern, passenger-first transport system, and this is exactly the kind of innovation that shows we’re on the right track, with more developments to come.”

Tap and Go currently operates across the Merseyrail network, with further integration planned as the Combined Authority continues its transport transformation agenda — which has included the introduction of new publicly owned battery-powered trains, improved active travel infrastructure, and bus franchising.

The smart ticketing system is designed to support greater flexibility for users while removing barriers to travel. Passengers are reminded they need to tap their MetroCard at the start and end of each journey on the platform validators or station gates.

Neil Grabham Managing Director of Merseyrail, said:

“We’re proud to celebrate the successful launch of Tap & Go, which has already been embraced by over 6,000 customers and enabled more than 50,000 journeys across the Merseyrail network. This marks a transformative moment for rail travel in the Liverpool City Region, one that reflects our commitment to innovation, simplicity, and putting customers first”

What’s next for Tap and Go?

Following this successful first month, the Combined Authority and Merseyrail will continue to promote Tap and Go across the city region, while also working towards contactless payments using debit cards and mobile devices, along with expanding the system’s reach across buses and other local transport modes in future phases.

To get started, passengers can visit the Merseyrail website or head to any staffed Merseyrail station, where MetroCards and support will be available.

* Figures are correct at the time of publication