Ground Transport Group

The UK’s Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has launched a review of train companies’ revenue protection practices in response to public uproar over excessive fines imposed for minor ticketing errors. The review seeks to strike a balance between tackling fare evasion and ensuring passengers are not disproportionately penalised for honest mistakes.

Recent cases have shone a spotlight on the issue, with passengers fined significantly more than their fare for simple errors, such as selecting the wrong ticket type online or misinterpreting fare rules. Such incidents have fuelled public frustration, with many feeling punished for unintentional oversights rather than deliberate fare evasion.

The review will focus on improving fairness in ticketing and enforcement policies. While revenue protection is essential to address the £240 million lost annually to fare evasion, passengers expect operators to differentiate between genuine mistakes and deliberate fraud. The Department for Transport emphasised that restoring public trust is key to a reliable and equitable rail network.

Stakeholders and passenger advocacy groups are optimistic that the review will result in clearer ticketing systems, more flexible dispute resolution processes, and a reduction in overly aggressive enforcement. The Transport Secretary has pledged to engage with passenger representatives to ensure that changes reflect the needs and expectations of the travelling public.

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said:

Make no mistake, deliberate fare-dodging has no place on our railways and must be tackled, but innocent people shouldn’t feel like a genuine mistake will land them in court.

An independent review is the right course of action, and will help restore passengers’ confidence in the system.

It is clear that ticketing is far too complicated, with a labyrinth of different fares and prices which can be confusing for passengers. That’s why we have committed to the biggest overhaul of our railways in a generation, including simplifying fares to make travelling by train easier.

ORR director of strategy, policy and reform Stephanie Tobyn said:

We welcome the opportunity to conduct this review.

It is important passengers are treated fairly and dealt with consistently and proportionately when ticketing issues arise, whilst also balancing the legitimate revenue protection interests of operators and taxpayers.

Further details can be found on the UK Government website.