Recent content by vjm1975

A few weeks ago there were RPIs at Ellesmere Port directing people to the nearest cashpoint machine advising that you will be 'fined' if you board train without a ticket if you don't do as directed. Nearest machine being at the Shell Garage and roughly 10 min round trip so would end up missing...

Card readers seem to have been out of action for about 2 months now. I note that contactless payment has been added to the TVM's, don't know if it's linked to that or not as I have only recently noticed them. All card terminals just show offline. Merseyrail responded to a comment on Twitter...

As long you are are not using the Merseyrail Area G daysaver at £3.80, normal Day Saver or Saveaway ticket to travel that route then Chester to Ellesmere Port via Helsby is fine. I could guess that the ticket office staff at Chester thought the route wasn't valid as they tend to sell the...

They were axed throughout from around 07:30 until around 20:00, so 4 trains an hour from Hooton towards Liverpool instead of 6. Some of the buses around the peak traveling time were leaving Ellesmere Port full with people still waiting. No sure if there were any other buses being used to mop...

I had a similar issue with RSH last year. I booked advance tickets from Ellesmere Port to London Euston. The outbound journey was via Liverpool Lime Street, return via Chester. All well and good, booking made with valid itinerary. A few weeks later I notice engineering works poster at...

I wonder that too, especially as transaction times for card payments now a much quicker than in the past. Seems common practice around Europe to pay for most things on card. Seems as usual we are way behind the times in the UK. As mentioned previously, quite a few drinks/snacks vending...

I would assume Lime Street lower level barriers would accept through tickets, given you need to pass through them to get to the main line station. Have never had an issue with through tickets being rejected at these barriers, but not tried the other Liverpool underground stations.

The £3.50 Day Saver isn't valid as that's Merseyrail only, but the £4 anytime return is. Platform 4 at Helsby has departure boards, despite only seeing the limited service.

Merseyrail running late trains as express services seems to be the norm now, as opposed to the age old practice of turfing passengers off short of destination then running ECS to make up time. There used to be nothing worse than a stupidly late 6 car from Chester turfing off its passengers at...

The Area G Day Saver is the £3.50 one, it's the second option on the popular destinations page on the TVM at the unmanned stations south of Hooton. The screens are awful for responsiveness, "A" is also a little blighter. Shame the ticket office at E.Port isn't open on Saturday mornings as...

Was this from Chester ticket office or the TVM? From my experience staff always sell the £3.50 Day Saver when asking for a return or single to Ellesmere Port. (A single is £3.60). Not seen the area G (Which covers Hooton-Chester/Ellesmere Port) Day Saver in the TVMs at Chester, only the all...

Seems unusual to run in passenger service. Merseyrail normally terminate trains short and run ECS to pick up the timetabled run further down the line.

Out of interest, if all businesses dealing with customer transactions insisted on applying a no change policy, how would anyone have any change to offer the correct amount for something? Most ATM's give a minimum of £10 notes, very few seem to give £5's and banks actively discourage over the...

Virgin Trains tweeted a few times yesterday stating that the story is not true and that she never traveled for free.

Chester to Liverpool is 45 minutes and a great many people make that return journey every day end to end as it is much more bearable than taking the bus for the same journey. People making journeys of 45 minutes on Merseyrail is not really that rare. The current seating is adequate for such a...