Figures released today, Monday, 22 January, by West Midlands Railway (WMR) show that last year the company issued thousands of fines for travelling without a ticket and followed it up with a warning to fare evaders.

To try and cut fare evasion, 12 months ago the the national Penalty Fare for travelling without a ticket was increased from £20 to a minimum of £100.

Last year, West Midlands Railway and its sister company London Northwestern Railway issued a total of 41,691 Penalty Fares to passengers travelling without a ticket. Of those, 8,760 were pursued by the prosecution in the courts as well as 1,208 cautions being issued. As a result, the company’s digital fraud team recovered over £300,000 of potentially lost revenue.

The Penalty Fare was increased to a minimum of £100 twelve months ago tomorrow, 23 January 2023. There is a reduction £50 as well as the price of the appropriate full single fare applicable if it is paid within 21 days.

Penalty Fares are liable to be imposed for the following situations:

• Travelling without a valid ticket;
• Travelling with a discounted ticket but unable to show an appropriate Railcard;
• Travelling in First Class with a Standard Class ticket;
• Aged 16 or over travelling on a child ticket;
• Travelling beyond the destination stated on the ticket;

More information about Penalty Fares can be found by clicking here.

Annamaria Izzard, head of revenue protection at WMR, said: “Millions of pounds of vital revenue is lost due to fare evasion every year and I hope these figures encourage people to think twice about ticketless travel.

“Our teams are out on trains and at stations checking tickets every day and the clear message to passengers is that trying to dodge your fare is simply not worth the risk of getting a fine and potential prosecution through the courts.

“Everyone who boards one of our services should have a valid ticket for their journey to ensure fairness for paying customers on the railway.”