(Commonwealth_Europe) Train operators have been urged by the rail passenger watchdog, Transport Focus, to implement a more lenient approach toward passengers who make honest ticketing mistakes, suggesting the use of a “yellow card” system instead of immediately resorting to fines or legal action. The watchdog’s recommendation stems from growing concerns over the harshness of current measures used to address fare evasion and the impact of these on innocent passengers who inadvertently make minor errors when purchasing tickets.
In recent years, several passengers have faced steep fines, some exceeding £400, for unintentional mistakes, such as incorrectly using their railcards and saving minimal amounts on their tickets—sometimes less than £2. These instances have sparked debates about the fairness of the penalty system, especially when passengers did not intentionally try to evade fare payment. Transport Focus believes that introducing a yellow card system where passengers who commit a first-time mistake are informed of the issue and have their details recorded could serve as a fairer approach. This proposal would only impose fines on repeat offenders, establishing a system that differentiates between genuine errors and deliberate fare evasion.
Additionally, Transport Focus has called for the creation of a centralized digital record of railcards, which would allow train conductors to easily check passengers’ eligibility for discounts. This measure would be particularly useful in cases where passengers forget to carry their railcards or are unable to access them digitally. The proposal also includes a system for reminding passengers when their railcards are about to expire, helping them avoid such errors in the first place.
The watchdog’s director for rail, Natasha Grice, emphasized the complexity of the current ticketing system, which often confuses passengers and makes it difficult for them to buy the correct ticket. She acknowledged that while all rail users need to pay for their tickets, the system should not punish those who make honest mistakes. She explained that by addressing these issues, the industry could not only improve the experience for passengers but also help rebuild trust in the railway system.
This call for reform comes in response to a government-initiated inquiry into the practices of train operators in dealing with fare evasion. Ministers have raised concerns about the fairness of current measures, particularly the tendency to penalize individuals who inadvertently break ticketing rules. Fare evasion is estimated to cost the railway industry approximately £240 million annually, and the government sees it as important to tackle the issue without unduly burdening passengers who simply made an honest mistake.
As part of the broader Great British Railways reform agenda, the government has also committed to simplifying the fare and ticketing system, which many passengers find to be overly complicated. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) recently launched a review of revenue protection practices, including the use of penalty fares and prosecutions. To better understand their experiences, the ORR is actively soliciting feedback from passengers penalized for boarding trains without the correct ticket.
One particularly notorious case involved a passenger on a Northern rail service who was fined £462 after mistakenly purchasing an Anytime ticket with her railcard, saving only £1.60 on her fare, and traveling before 10 a.m. The penalty seemed disproportionate given the minor nature of the mistake, and the rail operator eventually decided to drop similar prosecutions.
Last year, a ruling quashed over 70,000 prosecutions for fare evasion brought by several rail operators, including Northern. Magistrates’ courts had pressed these cases behind closed doors. The move to drop these prosecutions was welcomed by passengers and consumer rights groups, highlighting the need for greater transparency and fairness in how the industry handles fare evasion.
Transport Focus believes that implementing its proposed yellow card system and creating a more user-friendly ticketing framework could significantly improve the relationship between passengers and the railway industry. By ensuring that passengers are not unfairly penalized for minor mistakes and by making it easier to navigate the complex fare structure, the system could ultimately help increase passenger confidence in the rail network while also improving revenue protection for operators. The combination of a fairer approach to mistakes and streamlined ticketing processes could serve as a key step in transforming the way rail services are perceived by the public.
