Updated
10.22

The
growing
number


of
complaints
reported
from
rail
passengers
who
are
sometimes
prosecuted
and
heavily
fined
for
a
comparatively
trivial
mistake
about
the
fare
they
should
have
paid
has
triggered
a
Government
review
into
how
operators
deal
with
fare
evasion,
which
is
said
to
cost
several
hundred
million
pounds
a
year.

In
one
recent
case,
a
29-year
old
passenger
from
St
Albans
was
threatened
with
prosecution
because
she
had
inadvertently
chosen
the
wrong
railcard
when
buying
her
ticket
on
Thameslink,
even
though
she
held
a
valid
card
which
entitled
her
to
the
same
discount.

That
case
has
now
been
overturned
after
her
MP
intervened,
but
she
had
previously
been
fined
£450
in
her
absence
in
another
case
because
she
had
not
uploaded
her
railcard
properly
to
a
phone
app,
although
she
proved
to
a
revenue
enforcement
inspector
that
she
had
bought
the
right
railcard
by
producing
her
receipt.
The
papers
for
that
case
had
been
sent
to
the
wrong
address,
and
she
told
the
BBC
that
she
still
does
not
know
if
she
now
has
a
criminal
record.

Transport
secretary
Louise
Haigh
has
asked
the
Office
of
Rail
and
Road
to
carry
out
the
review
into
how
clear
terms
and
conditions
are
for
passengers,
and
when
prosecution
is
appropriate.

The
ORR
said
‘reports
have
emerged
of
instances
where
a
disproportionate
approach
might
have
been
taken
to
those
making
a
genuine
mistake’.

The
transport
secretary
said:
‘Make
no
mistake,
deliberate
fare-dodging
has
no
place
on
our
railways
and
must
be
tackled,
but
innocent
people
shouldn’t
feel
like
a
genuine
mistake
will
land
them
in
court.

‘An
independent
review
is
the
right
course
of
action,
and
will
help
restore
passengers’
confidence
in
the
system.

‘It
is
clear
that
ticketing
is
far
too
complicated,
with
a
labyrinth
of
different
fares
and
prices
which
can
be
confusing
for
passengers.
That’s
why
we
have
committed
to
the
biggest
overhaul
of
our
railways
in
a
generation,
including
simplifying
fares
to
make
travelling
by
train
easier.’

The
ORR’s
director
of
strategy,
policy
and
reform
Stephanie
Tobyn
added:
‘We
welcome
the
opportunity
to
conduct
this
review.

‘It
is
important
passengers
are
treated
fairly
and
dealt
with
consistently
and
proportionately
when
ticketing
issues
arise,
whilst
also
balancing
the
legitimate
revenue
protection
interests
of
operators
and
taxpayers.’

Officials
at
the
Department
for
Transport
will
now
work
with
the
ORR
to
decide
the
review’s
scope,
timings
and
terms
of
reference
after
seeking
legal
and
other
expert
advice.

Watchdog
Transport
Focus responded:
‘We
will
be
sharing
with
the
review
what
passengers
have
told
us
about
how
confusing
the
current
ticketing
system
is.
People
who
have
made
an
innocent
mistake
should
be
treated
with
understanding
and
not
immediately
assumed
to
be
guilty.

‘We
also
know
fare
evasion
costs
the
railway
hundreds
of
millions
of
pounds
every
year,
money
which
could
be
better
used
to
improve
services
for
passengers.
Positive
action
on
revenue
protection
with
a
focus
on
ensuring
penalties
are
given
only
to
those
who
deserve
them
will
help
build
trust
and
confidence
in
the
railway.’