Leeds man's train ticket dispute could lead to 75,000 fines being overturned

A West Yorkshire man, who challenged a fine he received for travelling on a train without a ticket, may have opened the door for 75,000 other similar penalties to be overturned.

Christian Waters was unable buy a ticket at his local station Kirkstall Forge when he was travelling to Leeds in 2022 because the machine was broken at the time.

He received a penalty fare from Northern and ended up being taken to court for a criminal case over fare evasion.

Christian said: "I thought I'd either get [a ticket] on the train or the excess fares booth in Leeds. And then when I didn't see a conductor on the train, I got to the excess fair window there was a group of revenue inspectors and they pulled me out of the queue and they gave me a penalty fare.

"I felt really annoyed, it's not the first time the machine hadn't been working and I'd felt like a criminal."

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Christian refused to pay the £20 fine. He planned to appeal and assumed if that was unsuccessful he'd be taken to a civil court.

But Northern, in line with other train companies, used a fast-track prosecution known as a Single Justice Procedure or SJP which allows a magistrates' hearing to be held behind closed doors.

Northern says it has since stopped using SJPs in fare evasion cases.

The ticket machine froze when Christian tried to buy a ticket from Kirkstall Forge to Leeds in 2022

Christian challenged the use of an SJP and the case was taken up by the UK's Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring.

If he decides the use of SJPs in cases such as Christian's is unlawful, it would mean 75,000 similar cases could be quashed.

Those cases include prosecutions brought by other train companies as well as Northern.

Christian's case has led rail campaigners to demand more discretion for those who can't buy a ticket.

Nina Smith from Railfuture Yorkshire said: "It does seem wrong to me that you can prosecute somebody in a closed court. If you're going to prosecute it should be in an open court.

"Most people who are caught without a ticket will pay a penalty notice and that will be be it but it can be very difficult sometimes to buy a ticket."

Northern says it no longer bring fare evasion cases under the Single Justice Procedure and is reviewing its previous use.

The Chief Magistrate will make a decision on 19th July.

A Northern spokesperson said: "There are multiple ways to buy a Northern train ticket including on the app, our website, from ticket vending machines or ticket offices - and our colleagues are happy to provide advice if needed. We remind people of the need to buy tickets at stations and on trains.

"Our focus remains on ensuring that all our customers are treated fairly, which means ensuring all passengers who board our trains have a valid ticket.

"Northern stopped bringing new cases under the Single Justice Procedure for offences under the Regulation of Railways Act 1889 in January and are reviewing its previous use."

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