Government Orders Review of Train Fare Prosecution Practices

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh commissions an independent review amid concerns over disproportionate actions against passengers for rail fare evasion.

The review will be conducted by the Office of Rail and Road to assess the fairness and clarity of current fare prosecution practices.
Recent court rulings criticized train companies for using unlawful fast-track prosecution methods against thousands of passengers.
Cases like that of Sam Williamson, who faced prosecution over a minor ticketing error, have highlighted the issue of disproportionate enforcement.
Northern Rail has withdrawn ongoing prosecutions and committed to reviewing past cases following government intervention.
The review aims to clarify ticketing terms and conditions to prevent passengers from being unfairly penalized for honest mistakes.