Persistent fare evader fined nearly £6,000 for 378 cases of fare dodging
A persistent fare evader has been ordered to pay nearly £6,000 including repaying fares which had been evaded and fines for boarding a train without a valid ticket on 378 occasions. The person travelled to stations between Haddenham & Thame Parkway and London Marylebone, with intent to avoid payment of the correct rail fares.
Revenue protection officers from operator Chiltern Railways caught the person who had previously been prosecuted twice for fare evasion.
The fare evader was also found to have been purchasing child rate tickets and 16-25 discounted tickets, despite not holding a valid railcard.
With offences spanning five years, the fare evader has been ordered to pay back sums on three occasions since 2022, totalling just under £6,000 including repaying fares which had been evaded and fines.
Tony Baxter, Operations Director at Chiltern Railways, said:
“The vast majority of customers pay for their journeys but this case should come as a stark reminder that customers need to purchase the correct ticket for their journey before they travel.
“Revenue lost through fare evasion is crucial for the railway. Anyone caught on board our services without a valid ticket for their journey is at risk of a £100 Penalty Fare and potential prosecution so it is simply not worth the risk. Chiltern have recently significantly increased the number of colleagues in this area which means more tickets are being checked on more services than ever before.”
Chiltern recently launched its ‘Buy Before you Board’ campaign, with posters present at stations and floor signage before ticket gates, reminding customers that travelling without a valid ticket is a criminal offence.
You can find more information on the Buy Before you Board campaign, visit here.
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Notes to editors
- Chiltern Railways is part of the Arriva group, one of the leading providers of passenger transport in Europe, employing around 34,400 people and delivering around 1.6 billion passenger journeys across 11 countries.
- 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 Stourbridge Junction.
- 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.