Northern Trains Prosecutes Cheshire Fare Evaders

Two Cheshire railway fare evaders have ended up paying considerably more for their journeys than they expected to.

Kyle Lord, 29, of Lime Walk, Wilmslow, was convicted of failing to produce a valid ticket for his rail journey.

His case was heard at Greater Manchester Magistrates' Court on Friday, 29th October 2021.

Magistrates heard that Lord was travelling between Stockport and Hazel Grove on Saturday, 29th May 2021, when he was unable to produce a valid ticket for the 3 mile journey.

The usual single fare at the time of the offence was £3.

Lord was issued with a penalty fare notice, which he neither appealed nor paid despite reminder letters.

He was fined £220 and ordered to pay £150 towards prosecution costs, £34 surcharge and £3 compensation.

Rosie Morris, 23, of Blackden Walk, Wilmslow, was convicted of failing to produce a valid ticket for her rail journey.

Her case was also heard at Greater Manchester Magistrates' Court on Friday, 29th October 2021.

Magistrates heard that Morris was travelling between Handforth and Manchester Picadilly on Friday, 28th May 2021, when she was unable to produce a valid ticket or promise to pay notice for the 10 mile journey.

The usual single fare at the time of the offence was £6.50.

Morris was issued with a penalty fare notice, which she neither appealed nor paid despite reminder letters.

She was fined £220 and ordered to pay £150 towards prosecution costs, £34 surcharge and £6.50 compensation.

Railway fare evasion is an offence under section 5 of the Regulation of the Railways Act 1889.

There are actually two separate offences available:

• It is an offence under section 5(1) for a person to fail to produce a valid ticket covering their journey, or to pay for their journey, or to provide their name and address, when requested to do so by a railway employee. The maximum penalty for this offence is a fine at level 2 on summary conviction.
• It is an offence under section 5(3) for a person to intentionally avoid payment of the fare for their journey, or to intentionally overrun the journey covered by their ticket, or to provide a false name or address when requested to by a railway employee. The maximum penalty for this offence is a fine at level 3 and/or 3 months' custody on summary conviction.

The train is my preferred mode of transport and I must spend thousands on rail fares every year.

It really bugs me that some people think they are entitled to a free ride, which the honest fare paying majority end up paying for in the end.