Train penalty fares are increasing by £80 come January
(Picture: PA Archive)The fine for getting caught on a train without a ticket is increasing from £20 to £100 next year.
The new penalty fare costs will apply from January under laws passed by parliament on Wednesday.
It is the first time penalties have been increased since 2005. The Rail Delivery Group estimates that fare evasion costs the industry £240m a year.
“We need penalty fares to act as a proper deterrent, and we are putting in place a modern system that will help create a more sustainable railway,” a Department for Transport spokesperson told the Standard.
With the “profound” impact Covid-19 has had on passenger numbers and profits, “it’s never been more important to minimise the cost of fare evasion to the railways”, a government consultation outcome paper said in July.
Under the current regulations, passengers who are found without a ticket must pay either the £20 fine or double the cost of a single fare to the next station at which the train calls, whichever is the greater.
Penalty fares are only issued in instances where there were facilities to buy a ticket at a passenger’s departure station, and they have passed signs stating the consequences of not having a ticket.
The £20 value has not increased in 16 years, so “in real terms” the penalty has decreased from £20 to around £14, the Department for Transport stated.
“The department believes that Penalty Fares are no longer fulfilling their deterrent function. We want to update the value of the Penalty Fare to ensure the system remains an effective deterrent.
“By acting as an effective deterrent, more revenue will be generated by the railway, which can be re-invested to improve the quality of passenger services.”
The £100 penalty, introduced on January 23, will be issued as a surcharge on top of the price of the single fare for a passenger’s journey.
It will be reduced to £50 if paid within 21 days.
Anthony Smith, chief executive of the independent watchdog Transport Focus, previously told the Standard: “Penalty fares must act as an effective deterrent, otherwise fare dodgers end up being subsidised by the vast majority of honest passengers.
“It’s right that train companies catch and deter those who evade paying for their ticket.
“But in doing so they must make sure that effective safeguards exist for passengers, including staff training to ensure they are able to use their discretion when it is clearly an innocent mistake.”
