A journey is made on the rail network roughly every second by someone who hasn’t paid, train companies have revealed.

The Association of Train Operating Companies estimates that around 100,000 train journeys are made every day by fare dodgers and that their actions deprive the rail network of up to £190m a year, money which train operators could otherwise invest in improving services for passengers.
It is estimated that £190m would be enough either to:

Lease around 1,520 extra carriages for commuter trains a year or around 1,060 extra carriages for inter-city trains a year; or
Pay for the upkeep of around 380 stations for the next five years.

The analysis comes as the Department for Transport concludes a consultation on penalty fares that has gathered the views of train companies.

Safeguards are in place to ensure that people who are unable to buy a ticket are not given a penalty fare, and passengers should check with their train operator what its policies are on ticketing and fare evasion. Staff are kept fully up to date about ticket machines which may not be working and other circumstances which may prevent people from buying tickets.

Michael Roberts, ATOC Chief Executive, said: “It is worrying that such a significant minority of people think the rules don’t apply to them. Fare dodgers’ actions suck millions of pounds out of the railways each year, money that would otherwise be going back into improving services for passengers.

“Train companies deal with fare dodgers in a fair but firm manner. If someone has a good reason for not having bought a ticket, inspectors will of course show discretion where possible.

“We need a strong deterrent to help ensure that the vast majority of passengers don’t end up paying for the few who think they can get away without buying a ticket.”

Excuses that fare dodgers have given to ticket inspectors include:

1. “I was going to pay for today’s journey tomorrow.”
2. Adults travelling with a child’s ticket: “I thought I was a child until I was 21.”
3. “I left my ticket on the train.”
4. “I left my wallet at home.”
5. “My friend would have paid for me”. When asked where their friend is: “Down the pub”.

Based on evidence from train companies’ initiatives to detect fare dodgers, ATOC estimates that between 3% and 5% of the roughly 3.3 million journeys made on the network every day are made without tickets. Applying the conservative lower estimate of 3% to the 3.3 million figure produces an estimate that there are roughly 100,000 train journeys made every day by people who haven’t paid the fare. That equates to around 4,200 journeys made every hour by people who haven’t paid, 70 every minute and roughly one every second.
Based on the number of journeys made on the network, train companies’ combined revenue over the last 12 months should have been £6.2bn. Assuming that 3% of journeys made on the network are made without tickets, ATOC estimates that around £190m is lost to fare evasion.
Train companies and Network Rail spend £1.25bn every five years on renewing and maintaining the country’s train stations. £190m represents around 15% of that expenditure. There are just over 2,500 stations in the country. Therefore, £190m would pay for the equivalent of the upkeep of 380 stations for the next five years.
For £190m per year, it is estimated that train companies could lease and maintain 1,520 extra train carriages of the type typically used for commuter trains or around 1,060 extra carriages of the type typically used for inter-city trains.
Train companies work within rigorous rules set out by an Act of Parliament and the Department for Transport to ensure that they deal with fare dodgers in a fair but firm manner.
All staff authorised to collect penalty fares have gone through thorough training for the job to ensure that they know all aspects of the law. They are also trained in conflict avoidance.
Most train operators expect passengers to buy a ticket before they board a train. A small number of train companies allow passengers to pay their fare on the train. In all cases, passengers must have a valid ticket in order to make their train journey. Passengers should check with their train operator for the arrangements that apply to them.