Train passengers with the wrong ticket won’t have to pay a fine if it was an ‘honest mistake’
New rules that will give passengers greater protection if they are caught travelling with the wrong ticket if it was an 'honest mistake' come in to play today
TRAIN passengers hit with a penalty fare for having the wrong ticket will be given greater protection if it was an "honest mistake".
The new rules that come in today will give anyone with a genuine reason for not having a valid ticket the chance to challenge the penalty through an independent committee unconnected to train companies.
Once an appeal is received the clock will stop on the 21-day deadline for payment until the outcome of the dispute is decided.
The new system will give greater consideration to the circumstances of how and why penalties are issued in a bid to ensure people are treated fairly, according to the Department for Transport.
Rail minister Jo Johnson said: "Rail users should make every effort to get the right ticket for their journey, but if you make an honest mistake you should feel confident that the appeals system will recognise this and treat you fairly.
"We are simplifying the rules around penalty fares and introducing an independent appeals process to help those who make a genuine error when using the railway."
How to save money on your train ticket
RAIL fares have gone up by an average of 3.4 per cent from the start of 2018. Here's what you can do to lower the costs:
Book in advance - Most ticket sellers release a few cheap seats for every journey around 12 weeks ahead of the train leaving the station. You can save up to 80 per cent which could shave off around £100 off the price of a journey from London to Edinburgh.
Get a rail card - National Rail offer a number of railcards that can get you a discount on certain fares, such as the 16 to 25 railcard and the two-together railcard. All of the above cards cost around £30 for a year but you won't be able to use it during peak times.
Try ticket-splitting - Split your tickets by seeing if it's cheaper to buy more than one ticket for segments of the journey, even though you're on the same train. For example, if you're travelling from Leeds to Oxford tomorrow, a one-way advance ticket costs £99.40. But if you split your ticket by travelling from Leeds to Birmingham New Street (£60.10) and then from Birmingham New Street to Oxford (£18.50), then you can pay £78.60.
Buy a season ticket - If you have a regular commute you get every day it might be worth buying a monthly or annual season ticket rather than forking out each day.
Buy two singles - Sometimes it's cheaper than buying a return ticket so it's worth checking out before you part with your cash.
Book First Class - Sometimes booking first class tickets can be cheaper than a standard fare on long train journeys.
Penalty fares can be issued when someone travels without a ticket, is unable to produce a railcard on a discounted ticket, travels in first class with a standard ticket or stays on a train beyond the destination they paid for.
Passengers receive a charge of either £20 or twice the cost of a full single fare, whichever is greater.
That can lead to penalties reaching hundreds of pounds for long distance trips.
Jacqueline Starr, managing director of customer experience at the Rail Delivery Group, representing train companies, said: "Customers sometimes make genuine mistakes and the changes to the penalty fares system, which is meant to deter fare dodgers, will help those who feel they have been mistreated and ensure there is enough time to deal with their appeal.
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"Fare dodgers deprive the railway of about £200 million every year, money which would otherwise be invested to improve Britain's railway for customers, communities and the economy."
Alex Hayman, managing director of public markets at consumer group Which?, said: "Some people will occasionally make a genuine mistake when travelling by train - that could include a commuter accidentally leaving their season ticket at home, or a passenger choosing the wrong option because of a complex and confusing ticketing system.
"It's encouraging that these passengers will now have an independent body to turn to if they decide to appeal their penalty, so that they can be confident that the issue will be resolved fairly."
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