To coincide with today, Tuesday, 27th June being National Bingo Day, Northern has published a bingo card listing the least original excuses used by fare dodgers on its services.
Every year, Northern's conductors and revenue protection teams interact with millions of customers.
95% of whom do the right thing and have a valid ticket for travel. However, 5% attempt to travel without a ticket, and their excuses are all remarkably similar, including vanishing purses and wallets, mystery benefactors paying for their ticket at a later date, and false claims of ticket machines not working which is something that staff have been able to check since May last year.
Other excuses include passenger's tickets being on mobile devices that have run out of power.
That was addressed earlier this year following Northern entering a partnership with mobile phone charge provider BattPoint.
As a last resort, some passengers pretend to be asleep during ticket inspection.
By investing in the largest network of digital ticket infrastructure of any train operator in the country, buying a ticket on Northern is easier, either via Northern's app, its website, or from one of over 600 ticket vending machines across its network.
In 2022/23, 108,681 reports of attempted fare evasion were investigated by Northern's Debt Recovery & Prosecutions Unit, which resulted in 53,344 Penalty Fare Notices being issued, attending 301 court sittings, helped to secure 14,072 convictions, and recouped £2.9m (£2,851,883) of lost revenue for the taxpayer.
Prosecutions for fare evasion are made under the provisions of the Regulation of Railways Act 1889 and the Railway Byelaws made pursuant to the Transport Act 2000, whilst those suspected of ticket fraud are prosecuted under the Fraud Act 2006.
Commenting on the challenges facing conductors and revenue protection staff, Jason Wade, head of retail operations for Northern, said: “Our colleagues have seen every tactic and heard every excuse.
“Everyone has a legal duty to buy a ticket before they board one of our trains. Why some people think they're exempt from that rule is, quite frankly, a total mystery to me.
“There are eight excuses on the bingo card – and I know some of my colleagues wouldn't have to wait very long to call a full house.
“There are so many ways to buy a ticket these days – there really is no excuse.”
So you can’t buy a ticket on board now? I didn’t know and as someone who only use a train maybe twice a year, i bet many more don’t know. Especially if you had to get a train at the last minute!
Perhaps while we’re waiting for a half decent service we passengers can play excuses for late and cancelled trains bingo