Fare Evasion

Customers warned of penalty fare increase across Chiltern Railways network

Chiltern Railways has warned customers that from Monday 23 January, tougher penalties for fare-dodgers come into effect across the rail network.

The Penalty Fare will increase to a minimum of £100, with it being reduced to £50 if paid within 21 days – as well as the price of the original full single fare. This change replaces the old Penalty Fare system of a £20 fine, or twice the full single fare to the next station.

Following a national consultation by the Department for Transport (DfT), the switch to a £100 Penalty Fare is being introduced across the country’s rail network.

Chiltern Railways has thoroughly prepared frontline colleagues at stations and on trains ahead of the changes.

Customers can always purchase tickets on the Chiltern Railways website or app ahead of travelling. For further information on Penalty Fares, customers can visit https://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/customer-service/penalty-fares.

Eleni Jordan, Commercial & Customer Strategy Director at Chiltern Railways, said:

"It’s easy to buy a ticket either from Chiltern Railways website, app, ticket machine or ticket office, so there are plenty of ways to buy a ticket. We are committed to enforcing the new Penalty Fare system against those who travel without a ticket.

"Fare evasion means there’s less money available to improve the railway for everyone. We hope that the new system coming into place on Monday will further deter those considering travelling without a valid ticket on our network.”

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Notes to editors

About Chiltern

  • Chiltern Railways is part of the Arriva group, one of the leading providers of passenger transport in Europe, employing 53,000 people and delivering 2 billion passenger journeys a year across 14 European countries. Arriva are part of Deutsche Bahn (DB), one of the world’s leading passenger and logistics companies, responsible for DB's passenger transport services outside Germany.
  • Chiltern operates commuter/regional rail passenger services from its Central London terminus at London Marylebone along the M40 corridor to destinations in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire, as well as long-distance services to the West Midlands along two routes. Services on the Chiltern Main Line run from London Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill, Stratford-upon-Avon and Oxford, with some peak-hour services to Kidderminster.
  • Chiltern also runs trains on the London to Aylesbury Line to Aylesbury (with some trains terminating at Aylesbury Vale Parkway instead), on the Princes Risborough to Aylesbury and Oxford to Bicester branch lines.