Will there be prosecution for railcard offences? Here’s how to avoid them

The train ticket I have is for a journey from: Gatwick Airport to East Croydon. Unnecessarily it tells me: “Applies to any allowed route.” It’s hard to imagine anyone doing anything other than taking the frequent 15-minute direct trains from the airport to London’s South Station.

“It can be returned and exchanged for a fee,” he adds. This is also unnecessary information. The ticket costs £4.30 and the admin fee for a refund is £5, so no one would do that.

More seriously: It misleadingly calls itself the “Usual Day Single,” and a reasonable person might imagine you could use it whenever you want. What it actually means is: “Valid only for travel during your trip. railway card is valid.”

Most rail passes have timing restrictions for “walk” tickets; basically anything that isn’t an upfront fee. The main aim is to prevent morning departures, particularly in south-east England.

In the old days when everyone shopped at the station’s reservation offices, the clerk would often stamp the ticket with “Restrictions Advised.” So if you’re caught traveling on a discounted weekday ticket, revenue protection staff will know you’ve been warned in advance.

Nowadays, passengers are assumed to know the rules when buying discounted train card tickets. Ticket machines at stations generally do not allow you to buy tickets on foot with a train card every weekday until the restriction is lifted. Many of us buy online (especially through Trainline) and the system easily shows when cheap tickets will be available; Tomorrow’s Gatwick to East Croydon service departing at 9.02am will be full fare (£6.50), while railcard holders prepared to wait until 9.13am will receive a third discount of up to £4.30.

Let’s say I bought a ticket for which it is neither possible nor necessary to make a reservation for the next train. It will prominently bear the phrase “Always Day Single”, although it won’t be available until that magical take-off at 9.13am. Trainline knows this and the railway company assumes I know it.

But now I have a ticket that says “Always”. I may want to use it before the morning restriction is lifted. However, if I attempted to do this I would be in breach of the National Rail Travel Conditions. They state that “where possible you should purchase a valid ticket before boarding the train” and use this “in accordance with the specific terms and conditions associated” – for example if it is a time-limited ticket and/or purchased with a railcard discount.

If I break the rules, I can be punished under the Railway Regulation Act 1889. This is the situation faced by some young people with 16-25 rail passes in the north of England. In July and August, their cards provide discounts during the morning rush hours. However, come September, there is a £12 minimum wage before 10am; This eliminates the use of a train card for shorter journeys.

Sam Williamson, 22, an engineering graduate from Glossop, mistakenly bought a time-restricted ticket last month. When a Northern revenue protection officer objected to him, he offered to pay the £1.90 difference; but instead he was told that he, like others in his position, could be sued. Hundreds of lira fines are imposed and a criminal record is taken.

Passengers and media shouted “tough!” Yet evade fare It’s a problem that costs taxpayers (who bear the brunt of railway losses these days) hundreds of millions of pounds every year. North and TransPennine Express It is said that around one in 30 passengers on trains in the north of England do not have a valid ticket. Accordingly, “special teams” of revenue protection personnel target random stations and trains. If you are caught by these people you will most likely either face a £100 fine or be sued.

Many people will call for the railcard rules to be simplified. But the reason the restrictions are so complicated is that the rail industry wants to encourage additional journeys and get people away from their cars, while also not losing money by allowing rail pass holders to travel cheaper.

A better solution: In cases like mine, where “Always” doesn’t mean any time, remove the word from the tickets. At the very least, when issuing tickets with a railcard discount, include the caveat “only valid where railcard restrictions allow”.

Until this happens, if you have the slightest doubt whether your ticket is valid for the train you want, here’s what you need to do. Always ask before getting on the train. Check with staff at ticket gates or approach the security guard or train manager at “open stations”. If you make an effort to check out, you may be told to try again later or pay extra. Annoying but better than the alternatives.