RAIL companies have been under fire for prosecuting commuters over railcard disputes and marginal underpayments.

As reported by the Star, a 26-year-old man was ordered to pay £462.30 over an underpaid £4.30 train fare from Prescot to Liverpool Lime Street.

Although the 26-year-old had paid for an Anytime Day Return ticket, he was prosecuted through the courts as his discounted railcard was not valid before 10am.

Following numerous reports of similar incidents, where rail companies have charged commuters huge fines over railcard disputes and marginal underpayments, the issue has been reported by the BBC and highlighted by two MPs.

Writing to Northern Rail, Gill Furniss, Labour MP for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough, has said she is "deeply concerned" by reports of passengers being prosecuted and fined for making innocent mistakes while travelling.

Ms Furniss said that these "vexatious and vindictive prosecutions are off putting to passengers and will ultimately result in lower use of our public transport network.

Independent MP for Birmingham Perry has also brought the the ticket prosecution dispute to Parliament, and has said that he will be filing an Early Day Motion on the matter.

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In addition to the cases that have been reported on in recent days, there have been further cases in and around the borough where rail passengers have been prosecuted through the courts and charged hefty fines after not responding to letters.

  • Following a hearing at Warrington Magistrates Court, Ben Scully, from Eccleston was ordered to pay a £150 Fixed Penalty Notice and £5.30 for the avoided train fare, after the 19-year-old used an expired railcard on a train from St Helens Central to Liverpool Lime Street in February.
  • Rory Scott, from St Helens, was fined £470 for a £12 journey from Lea Green to Manchester Oxford Road, after purchasing an Anytime Day Single with a railcard that he could not produce.
  • Christine Blackstock, from Thatto Heath, was also fined £470 following a journey from Lea Green to Manchester Piccadilly in March. The 26-year-old had paid for a ticket bought for a previous day.
  • Natasha Banavich, from Whiston, was fined £459.50 following a £3.50 underpaid journey from St Helens Central to Huyton in February. The 40-year-old said her card had declined in St Helens, and it declined when the conductor tried to sell her another ticket on the train.
  • Following a journey from Newton-le-Willows to Manchester Victoria on February 22, John Mike, from Salford, was ordered to pay a cost of £466.80 after he was unable to produce a valid railcard.
  • Oliver Derbyshire was also ordered to pay £467.90 after paying for a ticket from Newton-le-Willows to Manchester Victoria in March. The 23-year-old had paid for a ticket but travelled on an earlier train.
  • Earlier this month, Warrington Magistrates ordered James Adiyenu, from Rainhill, to pay £460.50 following a journey from Edge Hill to Liverpool Lime Street on April 11, with the 19-year-old prosecuted for a £2.50 underpayment after he produced a ticket without a valid railcard.
  • Similarly, 20-year-old John Joll, from Liverpool, was fined £462.80 after he could not produce a railcard for a ticket he had bought from Rainhill to Liverpool Lime Street in January, despite the disputed fare being just £4.80.
  • Jessica Newton, from Manchester, was fined £467.70 after a journey from Earlestown to Manchester Piccadilly in November 2023. The 25-year-old had paid for a ticket but her railcard had expireD a few months earlier.
  • Mohammad Barkukheil, from Haydock, was also fined £467.70 for a journey from Earlestown to Manchester Piccadilly in October 2023. The 20-year-old had paid for a ticket but travelled on the wrong train and could not produce a railcard.
  • After boarding a train from Prescot to Liverpool Lime Street without a valid ticket on March 29, Dominic O'Shaughnessy, from Prescot, has also been ordered to pay a £462.50 fee after he did not respond to Northern Rail's letters.
  • Carl Simpson, from Preston, was fined £471.80 after paying for a journey from Preston to St Helens Central in November 2023. The 39-year-old had paid for a ticket but could not produce a valid railcard.