Latest news with #OfficeOfRailAndRoad
Sky News
6 days ago
- Business
- Sky News
Rail firms taking 'disproportionate action' against passengers without valid tickets, watchdog warns
Rail firms are taking "disproportionate action" against some passengers without valid tickets, a watchdog has warned in a new report. The report, following an inquiry by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), also criticised Britain's "complex" fares system and found that travellers faced "inconsistent treatment and outcomes" for similar ticketing issues across the railway. The 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. The case was eventually dropped when the passenger's MP became involved. In another case, a passenger's printed e-ticket was damaged by water, and a member of rail staff was unable to scan the ticket. Despite later providing proof of a valid ticket for the journey, the person was threatened with prosecution. They agreed to settle out of court for £81 to avoid the risk of conviction, the ORR said. A third case study highlighted in the report saw a passenger successfully appeal a penalty fare, only to discover during a criminal records check for a job that they had been convicted of fare evasion without being aware of it. The passenger claimed they had never received any documentation or court material. The ORR found there were "a range of circumstances" in which passengers may innocently travel without a valid ticket, for example, when they forget their railcard or simply make a mistake. The review also found that prosecutions for ticketing offences had increased by 52% from 2019 to 2023, while passenger numbers had fallen by 7%. The extent to which each train operator used prosecutions varied considerably, even when normalised for passenger numbers, the report noted. But the regulator warned that these reasons could also be used by passengers who "deliberately choose" to underpay or avoid their fare, making it difficult for rail staff to determine their intent and the course of action. 9:57 Rail staff described how fare evasion was becoming "increasingly more challenging to tackle" and "normalised among certain passenger groups", according to the ORR. "Making this more challenging is the railway's complex fares and ticketing framework. This has grown more complicated over time," the report added. Under railway bylaws, not being able to present a valid ticket for a journey is an offence, regardless of a passenger's intent, which the ORR said meant "disproportionate action can end up taken against some passengers". The inquiry was commissioned by then transport secretary Louise Haigh in November 2024 to review the handling of revenue protection and fare evasion across the industry, following reports of cases where passengers were being prosecuted over a small amount of money. The ORR made a series of recommendations to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander and the Department for Transport, like ensuring that passengers have "clearer information" about tickets, and creating consistency in how passengers are treated when ticket issues arise, particularly when it comes to prosecutions. "Deliberate fare-dodging costs the taxpayer up to £400 million annually - money which could be better spent on improving passenger experience - and must be dealt with, but ham-fisted prosecutions that punish people who have made an innocent mistake is not the way to do this," rail minister Lord Hendy said. He added that the government would study the report and set out how the address will be addressed "in due course". 0:41 A spokesperson for Rail Delivery Group, which represents operators, said it welcomed the ORR's "sensible recommendations". She continued: "The rail industry will work on implementing the recommendations in line with our plans to create a simpler, better-value fares system. "We need to strike the right balance, addressing genuine, honest mistakes made by customers and taking firm action against those who deliberately and persistently seek to exploit the system."
The Independent
6 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Rail firms taking ‘disproportionate action' against passengers over ticket rules
Train operators are taking 'disproportionate action' against passengers who do not hold a valid ticket, according to an inquiry which criticised Britain's 'complex' fares system. The regulator, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), published a report that found travellers face 'inconsistent treatment and outcomes' for similar ticketing issues across the railway. It was commissioned by then-transport secretary Louise Haigh in November last year to review how the industry handles revenue protection and fare evasion, after cases where passengers were being prosecuted over small amounts of money were highlighted in the media. The ORR noted one case where a passenger was threatened with prosecution for accidentally selecting a 16-25 railcard discount when they held a 26-30 railcard, which provides the same discount. The case was eventually dropped after their MP became involved. The ORR found there are 'a range of circumstances' in which passengers may innocently travel without a valid ticket, such as forgetting their railcard or simply making a mistake. But the regulator warned the same reasons can be used by passengers who 'deliberately choose' to underpay or avoid their fare, and it can to difficult for rail staff to determine their intent and decide how to handle the situation. The report stated: 'Making this more challenging is the railway's complex fares and ticketing framework. 'This has grown more complicated over time.' The inquiry found that rail staff described how 'fare evasion is becoming normalised among certain passenger groups', and it is becoming 'increasingly more challenging to tackle'. The ORR noted that under railway byelaws, it is an offence not to be able to present a valid ticket for a journey, regardless of the passenger's intent, which means 'disproportionate action can end up being taken against some passengers'. The inquiry made a series of recommendations to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander and the Department for Transport, such as ensuring passengers have 'clearer information' about tickets, and creating consistency in how passengers are treated when ticket issues arise, particularly in relation to prosecutions. ORR director of strategy, policy and reform Stephanie Tobyn said: 'Effective revenue protection is essential for a sustainable railway, but it must be fair and proportionate for passengers. 'Our recommendations aim to protect both industry revenue and support passenger confidence. 'Our evidence shows a system that has evolved over time where the legal framework and enforcement processes are increasingly complex and appear weighted towards industry, leaving some passengers who make innocent errors vulnerable to disproportionate outcomes. 'But meanwhile, fare evasion remains a significant problem, and rigorous action should be taken against those who intentionally seek to defraud the railway.' Rail minister Lord Hendy said: 'This report shows that decades of failed privatisation have created a mess of deep-rooted issues across our railways, which have been left unchallenged and are now causing chaos and frustration for passengers. 'Through the creation of Great British Railways, we're bringing operators together to establish oversight and better standardise practices, putting an end to inconsistent prosecutions and making sure passengers are treated fairly. 'Deliberate fare-dodging costs the taxpayer up to £400 million annually – money which could be better spent on improving passenger experience – and must be dealt with, but ham-fisted prosecutions that punish people who have made an innocent mistake is not the way to do this. 'We will look at this report in detail and set out what we'll be doing to address the issues raised in due course.' A spokesperson for Rail Delivery Group, which represents operators, said it welcomed the ORR's 'sensible recommendations'. She continued: 'The rail industry will work on implementing the recommendations in line with our plans to create a simpler, better-value fares system. 'We need to strike the right balance addressing genuine, honest mistakes made by customers and taking firm action against those who deliberately and persistently seek to exploit the system.' Last week, shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick posted a widely-viewed video on social media in which he confronted people who forced their way through the ticket barriers at Stratford station in east London.
The Guardian
7 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Train ticket enforcement must be fair and proportionate, watchdog warns
Some train operators have excessively prosecuted alleged fare dodgers, according to the rail regulator, which has called for clearer tickets and a fairer system to avoid penalising mistakes. A report by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) said passengers who boarded trains without a valid ticket faced 'inconsistent treatment and outcomes' across the network, with 'disproportionate action' sometimes taken over small errors. The review, commissioned in November by the then transport secretary, Louise Haigh, said fare evasion cost Britain's railways hundreds of millions of pounds every year and undermined the sense of fairness among paying passengers. However, the ORR also said it was vital that measures to tackle fare-dodging were 'applied appropriately and fairly'. Cases it noted included a passenger who was threatened with prosecution for accidentally selecting a ticket linked to the wrong railcard – even though the discount and fare paid were the same – and another who faced legal action after a water-damaged printout could not be scanned, despite them later providing proof of the valid ticket. The regulator urged the Department for Transport to ensure passengers get clearer information about tickets and their restrictions, and to introduce consistent standards for how passengers are treated when ticket issues arise. Stephanie Tobyn, the ORR's director of strategy, policy and reform, said: 'Effective revenue protection is essential for a sustainable railway, but it must be fair and proportionate for passengers. 'The legal framework and enforcement processes are increasingly complex and appear weighted towards industry, leaving some passengers who make innocent errors vulnerable to disproportionate outcomes. But meanwhile, fare evasion remains a significant problem, and rigorous action should be taken against those who intentionally seek to defraud the railway.' Peter Hendy, the rail minister, said privatisation had 'created a mess of deep-rooted issues across our railway', and the creation of Great British Railways would 'establish oversight and … end inconsistent prosecutions and making sure passengers are treated fairly'. He added: 'Deliberate fare-dodging costs the taxpayer up to £400m annually and must be dealt with, but ham-fisted prosecutions that punish people who have made an innocent mistake is not the way to do this.' A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents operators, said it welcomed the ORR's 'sensible recommendations'. They said: 'We need to strike the right balance addressing genuine, honest mistakes made by customers and taking firm action against those who deliberately and persistently seek to exploit the system.' The watchdog Transport Focus called for a 'yellow card' system for passengers who travel without the correct ticket on a national database.
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Direct rail service between Shropshire and London supported by PM
Plans for a new passenger rail service running direct trains between north Wales, the West Midlands and London have received support from the prime minister. A new open-access rail operator, called the Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway (WSMR), has been formed, offering passengers in Wrexham, as well as Gobowen, Shrewsbury, Walsall and Coleshill, a direct link with the in the Commons, Shrewsbury's Labour MP Julia Buckley asked Sir Keir Starmer if he would support the provider's prime minister responded, saying he would be "delighted to make sure the MP and other interested MPs meet with the rail minister to put their case forward". Proposals for the new operation from WSMR could see five trains per day running in each direction from Monday to Saturday, with four services running in both directions on a will stop at Gobowen, Shrewsbury, Telford Central, Wolverhampton, Darlaston, Walsall, Coleshill Parkway, Nuneaton and Milton Keynes on the route between Wrexham General and London route would bypass Birmingham by utilising a railway line only used for freight services, with trains running directly from Wolverhampton and Walsall to Nuneaton for the first time, a WSMR spokesperson said.A formal application to open the service was submitted to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) on Thursday, they added.
