Rail passengers to be refunded after being overcharged for not having valid tickets

Train companies across the UK, including Great Western Railway, have been overcharging passengers caught fare dodging and will be issuing refunds.

Industry body the Rail Delivery Group said eight train companies across the UK punished thousands of ticketless travellers too harshly by not implementing a rule change made in April last year.

The new legislation reduced the correct punishment for some fare dodgers depending on the time of their journey.

But the RDG issued guidance to rail firms which failed to correctly set out the updated rules, resulting in them being ignored.

Up to 10,000 passengers in the UK could have been affected by the mistake, which was only discovered last month and led to tens of thousands of pounds being unfairly demanded by ticket inspectors.

The RDG said it has conducted an investigation and will ensure train staff are properly trained.

A passenger watchdog demanded that train operators must do "everything possible" to prevent a repeat of the error.

Around half of people affected will be issued refunds for the amount they were overcharged, but in many cases the train companies do not have fare dodgers' full contact details.

Posters will be displayed at stations in the coming weeks to advise anyone who thinks they may be owed money to get in touch with the relevant operator.

Great Western Railway are among the train companies found to have overcharged passengers along with Chiltern Railways, Govia Thameslink Railway, Greater Anglia, Northern, Southeastern, South Western Railway and London Northwestern.

Great Western Railway says it will post cheques to those passengers it has details for, with the average refund being £6.

On routes where penalty fares apply, passengers must buy a ticket before boarding a train at stations where there is an open ticket office or a functioning ticket machine.

If a ticket inspector catches anyone who avoids doing this, they can issue them with a penalty fare notice.

These are also handed out to passengers unable to produce a railcard after buying a discounted ticket, travelling in first class with a standard ticket or staying on a train beyond the destination paid for.

Penalty fares are £20 or twice the appropriate single fare, whichever is higher.

The single fare was previously based on the price of a ticket valid at any time of day.

But since April last year the price of off-peak fares should be applied if the tickets were available for the journey taken.