Southeastern recover £2.5 million from fare-dodgers

Credit: Southeastern

Southeastern have revealed that it has managed to recover more than £2.5 million from fare-dodgers on its network over the past year. Southeastern runs train services into London from Kent and East Sussex, operating almost 1,700 trains a day, carrying more than 400,000 passengers, serving 176 stations and covering 540 miles of track.

The recovered money will go back into the railway, the train operator says they will make sure that fare-paying passengers and the general taxpayer alike are not subsidising people who try not to pay for their train journey. Around £2.5 million was recovered, with £1 million passed straight on from the courts, and another £1.5 million taken directly from Penalty Fares.

“Customers should buy a ticket for travel before they board a train, and the overwhelming majority of them do so with our Key smartcard, through our website, at our ticket offices or one of more than 250 ticket machines across our network,” Alicia Andrews, Commercial Director for Southeastern, said. “Unfortunately, a number of people deliberately try to dodge the fare, and we have a responsibility to pursue those people so that fare-paying passengers and taxpayers at large are not subsidising the cost of travel for those who don’t pay. Our message to those who want to evade the fare is that it’s not worth the risk of potential prosecution and the extra cost. The money recovered can now be re-invested in making the railway better for all our customers, including improvements to trains, stations and other passenger facilities.”

Southeastern said that in 2021, 84,000 penalty fares were issued, with 18,000 of those committed to court for failure to pay or attempt to pay. In total, 6,700 persons were reported for criminal fare evasion, with 2,000 people reported under Railway Byelaws for ticketing reasons.