Lowest ever level of fare evasion recorded by Northern

Northern has recorded the lowest level ever for fare evasion on its network as it released its annual figures from its Debt Recovery and Prosecutions Unit.

The figures showed that ticketless travel accounted for 3% of journeys on its network which stretches across the north of England during the period of

April 2023 to March of this year.

Northern confirmed it investigated 57,302 reports of attempted fare evasion and issued 41,922 Penalty Fare Notices. From those reports, 172 resulted in court visits. The investigations ultimately ended up saving nearly £4 million of lost revenue.

The news of the record low in fare evasion follows from the news that Northern had reported a 20% reduction in the number of penalty fares issued in the first year since the government increase in fines for those travelling without a ticket to £100 from the original minimum of £20. This increase brought Northern in line with other operators including Transport for London (TfL) and Manchester’s Metrolink tram network.

Mark Powles, commercial and customer director at Northern, said: “The reality is that fare dodgers expect the taxpayer to pick up the tab for their journey – and that’s just not on.

£240 million lost through fare evasion

“The rail industry receives a great deal of public subsidy, and we have a responsibility to do everything we can to reduce that figure – starting by ensuring everyone pays their way.”

Some of the progress on tackling fare evasion has been attributed to regular ticket checks on-board as well as a continued investment in the installation of ticket gate lines as well as the introduction of barcode season tickets last year which aimed to crack down on season ticket sharing.

Rail Delivery Group (RDG) estimates that £240 million is lost through fare evasion across the whole of the country’s rail network.

Commenting on the wider benefits of tackling fare evasion, Powles added: “In cases of persistent fare evasion, there is often an element of anti-social behaviour to deal with too.

“By tackling the root cause and keeping those responsible for that behaviour off our trains we can create a safer environment for our customers.”

@rwilcockrail