Northern Rail has released its annual fare-dodging figures, with the majority of people paying for their travel and millions of pounds of lost revenue recovered.
With statistics coming from the operators Debt Recovery and Prosecutions Unit, ticketless travel only accounted for 3% of the journeys that were undertaken across its network between April 2023 and March 2024. Whilst that figure is the lowest on record, the operator still found itself investigating 57,302 reports of attempted fare evasion. These investigations led to 41,922 Penalty Fare Notices and 172 court sittings – leading to the recovery of almost £4 million of ‘lost revenue for the taxpayer.’
Mark Powles, Northern’s Commercial and Customer Director, said:
“The reality is that fare dodgers expect the taxpayer to pick up the tab for their journey, and that’s just not on.
“The rail industry receives a great deal of public subsidy, and we have a responsibility to do everything we can to reduce that figure – starting by ensuring everyone pays their way.
“Clearly, with almost 97% of people boarding our trains doing the right thing and buying a ticket for their journey, they are with us on this issue.”
January 2024 saw Northern reporting a 20% reduction in the number of penalty fares that it was issuing, with this coming thanks to the government’s decision to increase the fine issued to ticketless travellers to £100.
Passengers have also been shown that Northern are taking their approach to ticketing seriously, with an increased number of ticket checks on trains, as well more physical ticket gates being put into major stations. Northern has also invested heavily into its digital ticketing infrastructure, which is the largest of any train operator in the country, ensuring that it is easier for travellers to purchase a ticket for their journey.
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