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| Ticketless train travellers to face £100 penalty | Ticketless train travellers to face £100 penalty |
| (3 months later) | |
| The penalty for dodging rail fares in England is set to rise from £20 to £100 in January, the government has said. | The penalty for dodging rail fares in England is set to rise from £20 to £100 in January, the government has said. |
| The Department for Transport (DfT) said it is being hiked because of concerns that the current penalty is not seen as enough of a deterrent. | The Department for Transport (DfT) said it is being hiked because of concerns that the current penalty is not seen as enough of a deterrent. |
| The penalty will be issued as a surcharge on top of the price of a ticket for the passenger's journey. | The penalty will be issued as a surcharge on top of the price of a ticket for the passenger's journey. |
| It will, however, be reduced to £50 if it is paid within 21 days. | It will, however, be reduced to £50 if it is paid within 21 days. |
| The DfT suggests the crackdown will help modernise the railway system and ultimately reduce the cost to taxpayers, "who are currently footing the bill of those passengers travelling without a ticket". | The DfT suggests the crackdown will help modernise the railway system and ultimately reduce the cost to taxpayers, "who are currently footing the bill of those passengers travelling without a ticket". |
| Currently, penalty fares for people who get the train without a valid ticket stand at £20, or twice the ticket price to the next station the train calls at. | Currently, penalty fares for people who get the train without a valid ticket stand at £20, or twice the ticket price to the next station the train calls at. |
| But under laws passed by Parliament on Wednesday, those penalties will increase in England for the first time since 2005. | But under laws passed by Parliament on Wednesday, those penalties will increase in England for the first time since 2005. |
| What is happening with the train strikes? | What is happening with the train strikes? |
| Great British Railways transport bill shelved | Great British Railways transport bill shelved |
| The government hopes the change will bring the national penalty in line with those issued by Transport for London and Manchester Metrolink, which charge £80 and £100 respectively. | The government hopes the change will bring the national penalty in line with those issued by Transport for London and Manchester Metrolink, which charge £80 and £100 respectively. |
| A DfT spokesman said: "We need penalty fares to act as a proper deterrent, and we are putting in place a modern system that will help create a more sustainable railway." | A DfT spokesman said: "We need penalty fares to act as a proper deterrent, and we are putting in place a modern system that will help create a more sustainable railway." |
| The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators, estimates that fare evasion costs the industry about £240m each year. | The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators, estimates that fare evasion costs the industry about £240m each year. |
| Rail bosses are currently grappling with ongoing strike action and how to boost revenues in the wake of Covid. Passenger journeys have plummeted since working from home became more popular. | Rail bosses are currently grappling with ongoing strike action and how to boost revenues in the wake of Covid. Passenger journeys have plummeted since working from home became more popular. |
| The industry has launched a rewards programme to entice commuters back, and introduced a flexible season ticket in an attempt to adapt to changed working habits. | The industry has launched a rewards programme to entice commuters back, and introduced a flexible season ticket in an attempt to adapt to changed working habits. |
| A total of 332 million rail passenger journeys were made in Britain in the three months to the end of June, about three-quarters of the level seen before the pandemic. | A total of 332 million rail passenger journeys were made in Britain in the three months to the end of June, about three-quarters of the level seen before the pandemic. |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Transport | Transport |
| Rail travel | Rail travel |
| England |