ScotRail is taking strong measures against individuals who intentionally attempt to avoid paying the correct fare for their train journeys.
The train operator is introducing 42 new Revenue Protection Officer positions to combat ticket fraud.
Ticket fraud currently incurs a cost of approximately £2 million per year in Scotland.
Recently, a trial program has been underway at various stations, including Edinburgh Waverley, Glasgow Central, Glasgow Queen Street, Croy, High Street, Rutherglen, and Paisley Canal.
This pilot scheme involves the use of new ticket validation machines. These devices are designed to read mobile and barcoded tickets as passengers pass through the ticket gates. Valid tickets will allow passengers to pass through the gates as usual after being scanned.
The ticket validation devices can identify potentially invalid tickets.
Instances of ticket invalidity include keys that are not suitable for a specific journey, conditions specific to rail cards, instances where an adult customer is using a child ticket, cases where customers claim to have taken a short journey while travelling a longer distance (e.g., Haymarket to Waverley), and situations where customers could have purchased a ticket from a staffed station but chose not to.
When a ticket is flagged as potentially invalid, Revenue Protection Officers will inspect it.
If the ticket is valid, the customer can proceed through the gate. However, a few passengers found travelling with invalid tickets will have their details recorded, and the correct fare will be charged, taking into account any discounts claimed.
Further investigation may be conducted depending on the circumstances, and if necessary, the British Transport Police will be notified.
To ensure a smooth experience, customers are advised to purchase their tickets before boarding a ScotRail service. Tickets can be obtained through the ScotRail app or website, at a ticket office, or using a station ticket machine.
It is also crucial for customers to activate their mTickets, tap their SmartCards when entering and exiting stations, and carry any railcards they possess at all times.
Phil Campbell, ScotRail Head of Customer Operations, said: “Tackling ticket fraud has always been a priority for ScotRail. It's a small minority of passengers who deliberately try to avoid paying the proper fare but it's honest, fare-paying passengers who bear the burden of lost investment in Scotland's Railway. The 42 new Revenue Protection Officers will be deployed around the rail network working from first trains to last. Those roles will really help support front line colleagues with ticket irregularity, fraud, and any difficult situations. We are determined to drive down ticketless travel, making the rail network a safer and more secure environment for customers and colleagues alike.”
