National Rail Conditions of Travel - Part C: Planning Your Journey and Buying Your Ticket

9.1 Travelling without a valid Ticket for your entire journey is a serious matter. This includes, where relevant: failure to present either the Ticket or any supporting documentation such as a Railcard; use of a Ticket that has not been validated where this is required by its terms and conditions; or accessing a part of the station or any area identified as for Ticket holders only. Condition 6 sets out the only circumstances where you may board a train without a valid Ticket.

If you believe that one of these circumstances applies to you, or that there is another reason that led to you travelling without a valid Ticket or being able to present one, then you should explain this to the member of Train Company staff who has asked to inspect your Ticket.

9.2 If you are unable to present a valid Ticket (including supporting documentation as outlined at Condition 9.1) when asked to do so and the conditions set out in Condition 6 do not apply, we are permitted in law to take one or more of the following measures:

9.2.1 To charge the full undiscounted single fare to a station directly served by the train that you are on. You will not be entitled to any discounts or special terms, or to buy a Ticket to a station other than one served by the train that you are on; or

9.2.2 To charge you a Penalty Fare when indicated by notices at stations served by trains with a Penalty Fare scheme in place (see Condition 10); or

9.2.3 To report you for prosecution for a criminal offence under the Railway Byelaws or other applicable legislation. Prosecution may be brought in addition to or in parallel with civil enforcement or recovery may follow initial steps for civil enforcement or recovery.

If you are unable to present a valid Ticket or to pay a fare when requested, the Train Company may require you to provide your name and address so that the matter can be followed up. You are obliged to provide this information under the Railway Byelaws and other applicable legislation and it can be a criminal offence not to do so or to give an incorrect name or address.

9.3 If you are unable to present a valid Ticket when asked or do not pay the whole sum requested by the Train Company when challenged, the Train Company may follow up with you (in writing or otherwise) to seek payment or recovery of unpaid sums and may bring civil proceedings and/or in some cases, a criminal prosecution. The Train Company shall be entitled to recover its costs of this follow up (including claim or prosecution costs) from you whenever such costs are incurred. The sum claimed will not exceed the actual costs of such follow up steps taken.

9.4 Where you are using a Ticket that is valid on a specific train service or train services and you are unable to make the booked service because a previous connecting train service was delayed or cancelled, you will be able to travel on the next train service provided by the Train Company(s) with which your ticket was valid without penalty.

9.5 Where you:

9.5.1 are using a Ticket that is correctly dated but restricted for use at a range of times other than the service on which you are travelling (this does not include Tickets which are valid only on a specified timed train service or train services); or

9.5.2 break your journey when you are not permitted to do so;

you will be charged the difference between the fare that you have paid and the lowest price Ticket that is valid for the train you are using.

Condition 9.5 does not apply in any other circumstances. In such cases, if your Ticket is not valid for the journey you intend to take, you must, before you commence your travel, either purchase a new Ticket or, (where the terms and conditions of the Ticket you hold allow), exchange or excess it for a Ticket that is valid for the service you wish to use.