Merseyside trains

County advice overview

Merseyside is well connected with train services. Destinations include Chester, Crewe, Manchester, Preston, Blackpool and London.

Merseytravel provide information on routes, stations and accessibility as well as a journey planner for train travel within, and to and from, the region.

You can check access information at individual stations on the National Rail website. Just type the name of your station (or 3 letter code if you know it).

Key tips

When planning a journey by rail, you may wish to consider booking passenger assistance in advance, if you:

• require help getting on and off trains.
• use a wheelchair – on most trains you will need a boarding ramp and to reserve a wheelchair space.
• use a mobility scooter – some train companies have restrictions and many require permits to travel.
• have a visual impairment and need guidance at the station or help getting on and off the train
• have difficulty walking long distances – some stations have wheelchairs or electric buggies which you can borrow.

By booking your journey in advance, National Rail and the train company can make it as easy as possible for you to travel. They can make arrangements if the station is not step-free or usually not staffed at the time.

Operators

Merseyside Rail

www.merseyrail.org

London Northwestern Railway

www.londonnorthwesternrailway.co.uk

Avanti West Coast

www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk

Northern

www.northernrailway.co.uk

Help with cost

Merseytravel offers free travel on all buses, trains and Mersey Ferries river crossings for anyone aged 60 or over who lives in Merseyside, and for anyone with certain disabilities who lives in Merseyside.

• Merseytravel – Over 60s Concessions
• Merseytravel – People with Disabilities

Senior Railcard

A Senior Railcard is available to people over 60 and costs £30 for a year or £70 for three years. It gives a discount of 1/3 off rail journeys.

The Disabled Person’s Railcard

The Disabled Person’s Railcard costs £20 for a year and £54 for three years. It will entitle you to a saving of 1/3 off rail journeys.

You are eligible for the Disabled Person’s Railcard if you:

• receive Personal Independence Payments (PIP)
• receive Disability Living Allowance (DLA) at either: the higher or lower rate for the mobility component, or the higher or middle rate for the care component
• have a visual impairment
• have a hearing impairment
• have epilepsy
• receive Attendance Allowance or Severe Disablement Allowance
• receive War Pensioner’s Mobility Supplement
• receive War or Service Disablement Pension for 80% or more disability
• buy or lease a vehicle through the Motability scheme

Special assistance

If you are planning on travelling on National Rail services, you can request an assistance booking in advance – now up to 2 hours before your journey is due to start, any time of the day. 

Passenger Assist is a national system used by all train companies, which allows them to make the necessary arrangements for your journey.

Passenger Assist includes:

• offering a helping hand to navigate the station
• support when boarding the train 
• meeting you from your train and taking you to your next train or the exit
• arranging a ramp on or off your train
• assistance relating to a non-visible impairment
• carrying your bag(s) – up to three items of luggage as per the National Rail Conditions of Travel

How it works

If you have a disability, non-visible disability, or are elderly, you can pre-book journey assistance to make sure you get all the help you need for your journey, including changes, and connections that involve other train companies.

You can also “turn up and go” without booking assistance in advance. If you require assistance at short notice, make yourself known to a member of staff or use a Help Point when you arrive at the station.

You can request assistance either via the train company you are travelling with or nationally through National Rail.

Book Passenger Assistance via National Rail

Plan Assistance

Contact: 0800 022 3720 or text 60083

Lines are open 24 hours a day.

You can also book via a new app which allows you to request assistance using a smartphone. You receive a confirmation email once your request has been checked and confirmed. Passenger Assistance by Transreport page.

Book Passenger Assistance via individual train companies

Avanti West Coast

Passenger Assist

Contact: 0345 528 0253

Northern 

Travel help and information 

Contact: 0800 138 5560

Merseyrail

Assisted travel

Contact: 0800 0277 347

London Northwestern Railway  

Accessible Travel

Contact: 0800 024 8997 

Travelling with mobility equipment

Train operators in Merseyside can carry manual or powered wheelchairs up to a maximum size of 70cm wide by 120cm long and not exceeding a weight of 300kg including the passenger.

As there are a limited number of spaces available to wheelchair users on each train, it is important that you book your space in advance.

However, the rules for scooters are different for each operator. If you are making a connection to an onward service with another operator, remember to check if you will need a permit for the connecting train.

Merseyside Rail

Scooters may be taken on trains if they are within the operator’s dimension of 109cm height, 120cm length, 70cm width and not exceeding a weight of 250kg (including the occupant). Contact Merseyside Rail Customer Relations on 0151 555 1111, if your mobility scooter does not fit these dimensions.

Avanti West Coast

All trains have dedicated spaces for wheelchair and mobility scooter users. These spaces are next to an entrance door and near to an accessible toilet and the on-board services team.

Northern 

You will need to apply for a scooter “Rail Ready” permit. If your scooter meets with the requirements, you will be sent a personalised card and a sticker to display on your scooter, where possible, before you travel with Northern. Further information on travelling with your scooter and how to apply for a permit, can be found on their website

London Northwestern Railway   

Customers are welcome to travel with their mobility scooter. Where possible, you are asked to transfer to a seat onboard. Larger scooters can be carried, if folded and stored as luggage.  

Routes and timetable links

As well as individual train operator websites, you can check train times, ticket prices and routes at a number of different websites, such as:

Merseytravel

Provide information on routes, stations and accessibility as well as a journey planner for train travel within, and to and from, the region.

National Rail

For train times and tickets.

Trainline

In addition to finding train timetables and buying your ticket, the Trainline website will give you information on live train times, including real-time journey and platform information with live train tracking. You can also check which trains are faster, and which stations they are stopping at.

Traveline 

You can plan local or long-distance journeys by bus, coach or train and check timetables with Traveline.

Traveline is a public transport information and journey planning service and is a partnership of transport companies, local authorities and passenger groups which have come together to bring you routes and times for all travel in Great Britain by bus, rail, coach and ferry and to provide it in as many different ways as possible.

You can use Traveline to plan your journey and find timetables, before you travel or during your journey. Contact Traveline: 0871 200 22 33