The penalty for evading rail fares in England will increase from £20 to £100 next year, the Government has announced.
From January 2023, fare dodgers will be charged the new penalty fare, which is reduced to £50 if paid within 21 days, plus the price of a ticket for the journey.
Currently, those travelling without a ticket are fined whichever is greater of £20 or twice the ticket price to the next station the train calls at.
Fare evasion costs the rail industry around £240million a year.
— Department for Transport (@transportgovuk) October 26, 2022
From Jan 2023 we’re increasing the penalty for passengers travelling without a ticket to £100, plus the ticket price for that journey🎟️
The penalty is reduced to £50 if paid within 21 days; applies to England only. pic.twitter.com/PpXVg1yayu
The Department for Transport (DfT) said the present system, which has not been updated since 2005, was not enough of a deterrent for fare dodgers.
The Rail Delivery Group estimates that fare evasion is costing the rail industry an estimated £240 million per year.
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