US EditionRail Firms Taking ‘Disproportionate Action’ Against Passengers over Ticket Rules
- In June 2025, the rail industry regulator released findings that rail companies in Britain often respond excessively to passengers regarding ticketing issues.
- The report was commissioned in November 2024 after media highlighted cases prosecuting passengers for minor ticketing mistakes, exposing Britain's complex fares system.
- The ORR found many passengers innocently travel without valid tickets due to errors like forgetting railcards, while fare evasion is becoming normalised and harder to tackle.
- Deliberate fare evasion costs taxpayers up to £400 million each year, but ORR director Stephanie Tobyn emphasized that protecting rail revenue is crucial for the railway’s long-term viability, while ensuring measures are just and balanced for passengers.
- The report recommended clearer ticket information and consistent treatment to protect revenue and passengers, with rail minister Lord Hendy promoting Great British Railways to standardise practices and end inconsistent prosecutions.
23 Articles
23 Articles
Rail firms taking 'disproportionate action' against passengers without valid tickets, watchdog warns
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) highlighted one case where a passenger was threatened with prosecution for accidentally selecting a 16-25 railcard discount when they had a 26-30 railcard, both of which provide the same discount.
Evening Standard
Rail firms taking ‘disproportionate action’ against passengers over ticket rules
The regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), published a report which found travellers face ‘inconsistent treatment and outcomes’.
After students without a train station in their home town were left without rail transport with a 90% discount, now the Government wants to fix this injustice and simplify the procedures, but rather complicates them. Anyone who wants to buy a CFR student ticket online must first go to the operator's cashier's office, so that their data can be verified. And things get even more complicated if the student has to change the rail transport operator …
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