Because of increasing losses incurred by persistent fare evaders, train operator Northern is to take a sterner line with them and has issued a warning that once they are identified, as well as being prosecuted for fare dodging for the journey on which they were caught, they can also expect to be prosecuted for previous cases of fare evasion.
When Northern's Debt Recovery & Prosecutions Unit (DRPU) detects a proven pattern of behaviour, it will build a case to put before the courts that details the full scale of the offender's deception, sometimes going back over many years.
Now that 70% of tickets for travel on Northern services now are purchased through online platforms, the task of the Digital Fraud Investigations Team within the Debt Recovery & Prosecutions Unit has been made easier, allowing it to scrutinise the circumstances of suspected fare evasion incidents in much more detail.
Because there was a large increase in the number of customers purchasing digital tickets after the Covid pandemic, in 2021 Northern decided to establish its Digital Fraud Investigations Team.
In the 2022-23 financial year, the team investigated 108,681 reports of attempted fare evasion and its in-house prosecutors attended 301 court sittings. Overall, the team helped to secure 14,072 convictions and recoup early £2.9m (£2,851,883) of lost revenue for the taxpayer.
Those found guilty of committing ticket fraud are prosecuted under the Fraud Act 2006, whilst there are other types of fare evasion, and these are prosecuted under the provisions of the Regulation of Railways Act 1889 and the Railway Byelaws made pursuant to the Transport Act 2000.
Northern's warning is timely, as next week, Sunday 12 to Saturday, 18 November, is International Fraud Awareness Week. That seeks to raise awareness about the level fraud worldwide, and the global effort that is takin place to minimise the effect of fraud on society. Further information about International Fraud Awareness Week can be found online at https://www.fraudweek.com/.
Northern currently has a vacancy for a revenue enforcement delivery manager to join the team responsible for clamping down on fare evasion, and the closing date for applications is next Sunday, 12 November. Applications for that vacancy and other careers with Northern is online at https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/careers.
Mark Powles, commercial and customer director at Northern, said: “Fare evasion hasn't been as simple as people just not buying a ticket for quite some time.
“There are people who try to outsmart the system through a complex process of fraudulent refund requests, delay repay claims and a process known as ‘short faring'.
“What those people might not realise is that, as with any electronic transaction, our systems are able to identify suspicious activity and bring it to the attention of our specialist investigators.”
Twice recently I have thanked Northern staff for actually doing the job they are paid to do. One was a conductor and one was revenue protection staff.
But what about the conductors who hide in the back cab?
Shouldn’t someone in plain clothes be travelling around on trains and reporting them for not checking tickets.
If the “back cab brigade” patrolled their trains there would be less fraudulent travel, or at least even more passengers caught without tickets.
I’ve noticed on my local line we have some very good conductors but then we also have others at the opposite end of the scale talking home the same pay . but not making any effort
Northern need to weed these people out.
Some stations are only 2 or 3 minutes apart (in W.Leeds, for example). After safely monitoring departure and anticipating next arrival, a guard/conductor can only do so much: half a dozen checks in the rear coach maybe? I’m sure its not worth the effort!
Gated stations is the only answer. Leave guards to monitor cameras (etc) and keep passengers safe!
It’s not rocket science, if every station had ticket barriers like they used to have fraud would be a lot less, I’ve lost count of the number of people I’ve seen travelling between unmanned Stations without barriers and no tickets! Not least of which many of the guards on the trains don’t bother to come down the train to check tickets, if they put plain clothes staff on the trains they would see for themselves how easy it is to get a free ride!
If the fare system wasn’t so complicated and confusing but more importantly expensive, then maybe the situation wouldn’t be as bad as it is.