Fine for being caught without a train ticket to rise to £100

FINES for getting caught without a train ticket will rise to £100 next year.

The fee, which is currently £20, will go up by another £80 in January 2023.

According to National Rail rules, if you are caught without a ticket and you travelled from a station that had ticket facilities, then you could be fined.

So that means a conductor or ticket inspector can ask for a valid train ticket at any point in the journey.

You can be fined if you travel in a First Class carriage with a standard ticket, and if you are 16 or over and travelling with a child ticket.

A penalty can also be imposed if you travel beyond your designated destination.

The penalty fare if caught without a valid ticket (in any of the above situations) is currently a £20 fine or twice the appropriate single fare - whichever is the greater amount.

But the Department for Transport (DfT) has recently revealed it will be hiking those fees up to £100 come January.

It said: "Fare evasion is estimated to cost taxpayers around £240m a year.

“We need penalty fares to act as a proper deterrent, and we are putting in place a modern system that will help create a more sustainable railway.”

The new rules will apply to rail services in England.

However, if you do find yourself on the end of a penalty fare you can appeal against it.

Every train operator must provide the traveller with a means to appeal.

But they must be processed and decided in line with the Regulations.

All appeals must be considered by an appeal body which is administratively independent from the train operating companies or owning groups.

Passengers are entitled to appeal a penalty fare up to three times.

But it might take a while to process if you do - you can read more about the length of time and the details here.

It was recently announced ministers will introduce minimum service levels during strikes by transport workers

It comes as members of the RMT at 14 train companies will walk out on November 3 and 5 after no new offer came forward.