Chiltern Railways recovers £12,000 from a persistent fare dodger who misused railcards and avoided fares.
Chiltern Railways travels to many places, including from London to Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Warwickshire. They also have routes to the West Midlands.
Last year, the railway investigated many cases; their fraud unit looked at 8,064 reports involving possible crimes. Chiltern Railways recovered over one million pounds during that time. They also issued 2,156 penalty fares, bringing in over £114,000 in addition to the recovered revenue.
Penalty fares act as a surcharge, adding to the regular ticket price for single journey tickets. Trains issue penalties under specific conditions; stations must offer ticket buying options, and signs must warn about lacking a ticket.
In 2023, the fine amount rose to £100, increased by the government. It was only £20 for over ten years. Pay within 21 days to cut it to £50.
Tony Baxter, an operations director, talked about fare evasion and wants things fair for paying customers. He emphasized that buying tickets is now very easy. He said boarding without a ticket is risky; people might get fined or even face prosecution. People should buy the correct ticket.
Rail Delivery Group shared an estimate that fare evasion costs the railways £240 million each year in Britain. Transport Focus urged a warning system using yellow cards for first offenses for people without tickets.