East Midlands Railway has announced it is increasing their penalty charge to £100 for people travelling without a ticket.
This is the first increase in England since 2005 which comes as a bid to move with other train line operators.
As well as the penalty fare, passengers found without a ticket will also be charged the price of a single ticket.
If the penalty is paid within 21 days of being issued it will be reduced to £50.
Festival and entertainments student Rhys Mansfield, 20, from Loughborough said: “It’s quite pointless because every EMR train I’ve been on they don’t check and when I get back home to Loughborough they never have ticket barriers, Nottingham is the only one.
“Given we are in an economic crisis it’s another way to get money off people.”
“I’ve never had a fine but I usually buy two single tickets as I think it works out cheaper.
“That’s gone up dramatically and inline with the tickets in general it seems excessive.”
Charlotte Foxhall, 26
Before the penalty increase today (January 23) the penalty fare was £20 or double the single fare to the next station stop whichever was the bigger fee.
Customer service employee Charlotte Foxhall, 26 said: “It’s a steep jump that’s gone up dramatically and inline with the tickets in general it seems excessive.
“Makes it worse that you have to pay for a single ticket too, £100 should cover that.”
The East Midlands Railway website said: “Most passengers pay the right fare for their rail travel but the rail industry loses £200 million to fare evasion every year.
“As part of eliminating fare evasion, we need to have an effective penalty fare scheme in place.”
You will be fined if you travel without a valid ticket, are unable to produce the appropriate railcard, travel in First Class with a Standard Class ticket, are 16 or over travelling on a child rate ticket and if you travel beyond the destination of your ticket.
