Metro Mayor offers disgruntled Merseryail passengers ‘goodwill’ payments

Liverpool Metro Mayor, Steve Rotheram, has approved payouts for Merseyrail passengers as a “goodwill gesture” for poor services on the Kirkby line.

In October last year the region celebrated the opening of its £80m new Headbolt Lane station, extending the line beyond Kirkby station.

It is served by specially converted trains in the new £500m Class 777 Merseyrail fleet which are powered by batteries, as the line extension has no third live rail.

But since introduction of the battery-powered fleet services have been subject to continual cancellation and disruption.

Merseyrail’s social media account is littered, day to day, with angry comments from long-suffering commuters affected by the poor service.

Last November, Mayor Rotheram slammed the “frustratingly poor perfomance” of the fleet, built by Swiss manufacturer, Stadler, criticising them for their “very unreliable” service.

Now, Mayor Rotheram has confirmed that passengers who travelled on the Kirkby line in 2023 could be entitled to receive their money back as a gesture of goodwill.

Passengers who bought a weekly, monthly, term-time or annual ticket, in 2023 at Fazakerley, Kirkby or Headbolt Lane stations will receive a letter with information about how to claim their money back in full.

Further announcements are planned to recognise non-Railpass holders whose journeys have been affected and more details will be provided as soon as possible.

Steve Rotheram said: “It’s been a transformational 12 months for our local rail network.

“From launching the country’s first publicly-owned trains in a generation to opening the new £80m Headbolt Lane station – we are creating a brighter, better connected future for our region’s railways.

“However, being a pioneer hasn’t come without its challenges. We anticipated that we would encounter some teething issues and disruption during the delivery of our new station and trains, but I’ll be the first to say that services on the Kirkby line have fallen short of the standards that our passengers deserve.

“While I cannot undo the disruption that passengers have already faced, I hope this gesture demonstrates our appreciation for their patience and understanding. I want to reassure passengers that we are working around the clock to overcome these challenges and we are already seeing sustainable improvements.”

He added: “It is my belief that these issues will soon be behind us and passengers will be able to enjoy decades of reliable service from one of the most sophisticated and accessible fleets in the country.”

Merseyrail hopes to restore a full 15-minute timetable to the line as soon as possible.