Chiltern Railways has issued a warning after recovering more than £1m in lost revenue in 2024.

£1,051,287 was recovered in 2024, up from £400,000 in 2023 and involved some adults buying child tickets.

There were 8,064 cases reported for investigation on the Chiltern network in 2024 and 2156 penalty fares being issues.

“The vast majority of our customers pay for their tickets before they travel but unfortunately there is still a lot of money lost on the railway through fare evasion every year. 

“We are determined to ensure fairness for the paying customer and there is no excuse for fare evasion as it has never been simpler to purchase a ticket.

“Anyone risking boarding without buying the correct ticket for their journey is at risk of a penalty fare or prosecution.”

Tony Baxter, Operations Director at Chiltern Railways