People normally think that if you don’t know how to do something, that must be a ‘you’ problem. But what if you are trying to navigate a Merseyrail ticket gate in a country you haven’t been to before, while the locals pile up behind you?
If you are travelling in and around Liverpool on Merseyrail with a standard paper ticket it will have a magnetic strip on the back. The new ticket gates are very straightforward to use.
How Do I Use the Merseyrail Ticket Barriers?
They work much like barriers at other U.K. and European rail stations. Which is all fine and well if you have been to other U.K. or European rail stations. I am going to assume you haven’t and give you the guide I wished I had!
Before you go to the platform, make sure your ticket is in good condition. The magnetic strip is what the gate reads, so try not to bend, crease or damage the ticket. You don’t have to wrap it in cotton wool, but don’t treat it like it is worthless (or your journey stops there!).
Keep it somewhere easy to reach, as you will need it both at the start and the end of your journey (and for ticket inspections on the train).
When you reach the ticket gates at your departure station, go to a barrier with a ticket slot and reader. Insert the ticket into the slot at the front of the gate, with the magnetic strip facing down and forward, following the arrow printed on the ticket.
The machine will take the ticket in briefly, read it, and then return it to you at the top. If the ticket is valid for travel from that station, the gate doors will open and you can walk through, as if you do this every day.
Always take your ticket back, as you will need it again later.
At your destination, you do the same thing at the exit gates. Insert the ticket into the slot and wait while the gate reads it. If it is a return ticket and you still have travel left on it, the gate will usually give it back to you.
Troubleshooting Tips for Merseyrail Tickets
If the gate doesn’t open, check you are inserting the ticket the right way round and it is not folded. Try once more, then speak to a member of station staff if it still does not work.
Merseyrail staff can check the ticket and let you through if everything is in order.
In short, treat the gates as a place where your paper ticket is checked automatically. Insert it to enter, keep it during your trip, and insert it again when you leave the station.
For more information, check out the Merseyrail website here.
