Merseyrail

Merseyrail is Abellio's longest running franchise, awarded by Merseytravel for a period of 25 years (2003 to 2028). Merseyrail operates metropolitan services in and around the Liverpool City Region and is operated as a 50/50 joint venture with Serco.

In March 2021, it was announced that Merseyrail had broken a national record: over a 28-day period (7 February – 6 March), 99% of trains arrived on time or with a delay of no more than 5 minutes – something unprecedented in the UK rail industry. In May 2021, Merseyrail received recognition for these achievements: for the third year in a row, the company was named the best performing regional rail operator at the Golden Whistle Awards.

Preparations are underway for the introduction of new rolling stock and the new trains have already been shown to interested parties at Southport and Birkenhead North stations. The roll-out of the announced smart card systems has been postponed. This is because no funding was received for the overall plan, of which the new systems are a part.  

In October, Merseyrail celebrated its 50th anniversary. This was celebrated with digital marketing activities, videos and a media campaign featuring historical images of trains and stations.