£100 fine warning issued to everyone who buys tickets on trains under tough rules

Train passengers have been warned about tough rules around tickets as part of a new crackdown. Anyone who boards trains run by a popular operator without a ticket faces a £100 fine, even if they intend to buy them once on board.

Passengers are being told they should not get on trains without tickets and that journeys should be paid for beforehand. This is because people will often get away without paying if a conductor doesn't check if they have tickets during their journey.

Train operators are increasingly trying to clamp down on this issue because of money that is being lost by travellers not paying - whether or not their intentions are honest when they board. Conductors are never going to be able to reach every passenger, particularly with the number of people who make short-hop journeys.

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Now, Chiltern hopes a £100 fine warning to anyone caught travelling without a ticket will serve as an effective deterrent. The company, which operates trains through Birmingham and the wider West Midlands, has been running a campaign to try to cut the amount of money lost to fare-dodgers.

It said: "With over £400k recovered in lost revenue over the last 12 months, customers are reminded that they should purchase tickets before boarding services into Birmingham Moor Street or face a penalty fare of £100." It comes as seven new ticket gates have been opened at Moor Street station to help reduce congestion.

Lisa Mack, area manager for the West Midlands at Chiltern Railways, said: “I am delighted that we have now opened the long-awaited gate-line extension at Birmingham Moor Street. This will support our frontline teams to manage customer flows during peak times and at the weekends which have become busier in recent years.

“The investment will also support future growth across the Chiltern network in the Midlands as we seek to modernise and decarbonise our operations under Chiltern’s 2030 Vision.”