More than 28,000 rail fare prosecutions quashed in court in just two minutes
manchestereveningnews.co.ukMore than 28,000 prosecutions brought by two rail firms for alleged fare evasions were quashed in a court today - in a matter of minutes.
Northern Rail, which covers large swathes of northern England, brought 28,631 prosecutions against passengers using the single justice procedure (SJP) between August 6 2020 and May 21 2024, despite not being permitted to do so.
TransPennine Express, which operates in the North of England and in Scotland, brought 41 prosecutions in January 2024. They were all declared null and void by Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring during a two-minute hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
An independent review of rail fare prosecutions is set to be ordered by the Government following claims of train companies pursuing 'completely disproportionate' prosecutions over small amounts of money. READ MORE: Body of baby found on field in Salford confirmed as newborn girl Mr Goldspring ruled in August that six “test cases” of prosecutions for alleged fare evasion brought by train companies should be declared a “nullity”, adding that others would be dealt with in the same way.
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