What are Penalty Fares?
We can reduce the number of people who travel without a ticket in a number of ways. On long distance trains and rural routes it is often possible for the on-board staff to check every passenger’s ticket. However, on urban and suburban routes, where station stops are frequent and the trains are often busy, it is not always possible to check every passenger’s ticket between every station. A Penalty Fares scheme works on the same principle as a ‘pay and display’ car park, where motorists may have to pay a penalty if they do not buy a ticket when they park. Where Penalty Fares apply, a passenger must buy a ticket before starting their journey. If a passenger gets on a train without a ticket at a station where ticket facilities are available, they will be liable to pay a penalty fare. The penalty is 20 or twice the full single fare from the station where the passenger got on the train to the next station at which the train stops, whichever is the greater. If the passenger wants to travel be
