Transport Secretary orders review of rail fare prosecutions after Northern controversy

The Transport Secretary announced yesterday that the regulator, the Office of Rail and Road, will analyse how suspected fare evasion is handled.

This will include an assessment of whether ticketing terms and conditions are clear for passengers, and when prosecution is appropriate.

The issues came into the public consciousness after Sam Williamson said he feared getting a criminal record and being fined hundreds of pounds after being told he was being prosecuted by Northern, because he unknowingly used a railcard at the wrong time, resulting in a £1.90 underpayment.

He had thought buying an “anytime” ticket would mean he could travel before 10am, however when a conductor stopped him on the train the engineering graduate was told he could not buy a ticket or pay a penalty fare, and legal proceedings may follow.

The rail operator eventually dropped the case after media pressure. The Department for Transport instructed Northern to review its ticketing policy, which resulted in the operator withdrawing all similar live prosecutions and a pledge to analyse historical cases.

The Yorkshire Post has previously reported how there was a significant increase in the number of prosecutions going to court following Covid from Northern.

Stories of “unfair” encounters with railway staff at stations across Yorkshire had become common, and many passengers were critical of what they perceived as heavy-handed tactics and targeting of innocent travellers who had no intention of avoiding payment.

It is understood that officials believe this is not solely a problem with Northern, but across all operators.

Ms Haigh, the Sheffield Heeley MP, 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.”

Alex Robertson, chief executive of watchdog Transport Focus, said: “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.”

Yesterday, Ms Haigh also announced that the first private train firm to be renationalised by the Labour government will be revealed within weeks.

She told the House of Commons transport select committee that an announcement would be made when the bill clears Parliament. It’s currently in the House of Lords, having passed its third reading in the Commons.

Ms Haigh said: “There are 10 privately owned train operators currently contracted to the Department under private ownership.

“As we consider the schedule of bringing the remaining 10 operators into public ownership, we will balance operational considerations as well as the benefit to the taxpayer and how they are performing.”

LNER, Northern and TransPennine Express are all run by the government as an operator of last resort, due to problems with the franchises.

She added: “We know Northern isn’t performing as well as it should.”