October 10th 2024.
Sam Williamson had recently purchased a train ticket that was advertised as being valid ‘anytime’, but to his dismay, he found out that it could not actually be used at any time. Despite this, he was quite pleased that he had saved £1.85 on his journey, as he was heading to London to take his theory test. Being a 22-year-old consultant living in Charlesworth, Derbyshire, Sam had struggled to book a test closer to his home.
As he had done many times before, Sam used the Northern app to book an ‘Anytime Day Single’ ticket from Broadbottom to Manchester, with plans to switch trains and continue his journey to London on September 5. He scrolled through the options and found the yellow sticker of the commuting word, along with the green label marking it as the ‘cheapest’ option. With his 16-25 Railcard, he was able to purchase the ticket for £3.65 instead of the regular price of £5.50, giving him a sense of satisfaction.
However, Sam's happiness was short-lived as he received a letter from Northern last week, informing him that he could potentially face legal action and a fine for paying less than the required fare. ‘It's absurd and quite distressing,’ says Sam, who studied at Oxford University and shared his experience on social media, causing it to go viral. ‘It seems like a massive overreaction from Northern for a simple mistake that could have been resolved in a matter of minutes if they had allowed it.’
Sam, who hails from Glossop, a town near Manchester, is not the only person who has been taken to court by train companies for purchasing a ticket that was advertised as valid at ‘any time of day’. This is due to a clause in the terms and conditions for the 16-25 Railcard, which offers a 33% discount on train fares. Sam had assumed that since the ticket was labeled as ‘anytime’, he could use it at any time. However, the train conductor informed him otherwise when he boarded just before 7:30 am.
According to the terms and conditions, the Railcard has a minimum fare that applies from 4:30 am to 10 am on weekdays. This is a policy that most people are not aware of, and it only applies to journeys made between September and June, not in July and August when Sam had made similar journeys using his Railcard. ‘I had no idea about this rule in the T&Cs that states the discount does not apply on journeys under £12 before 10 am on weekdays,’ says Sam. He had purchased the ticket on the Northern mobile app, and at the time, he thought it was an app error rather than a result of this obscure rule that most train users would not know about.
Sam admits that like many other people, he didn't read the full terms and conditions when he agreed to them four years ago. ‘I wasn't commuting frequently at the time, so even if I had read the T&Cs thoroughly, I doubt I would have noticed such a specific detail,’ he explains. So he was quite surprised when the conductor told him that his ticket was invalid. ‘At that moment, I did my best to rectify the situation - I offered to buy a new ticket, pay the difference or even a penalty fare, whatever was necessary,’ he says.
After not hearing from Northern for a month, Sam assumed that they had looked into the matter and dropped it, considering the small difference in the fare. However, when he received the letter informing him of the potential legal action, he realized that he could face even more anxious waiting and significant consequences. Northern has given him two weeks to explain the incident before taking further action. ‘I'm still hopeful that Northern will see reason and drop the matter, especially after seeing the huge response my posts have received,’ says Sam. ‘But for now, I'm still in limbo.’
In the UK, train companies can take legal action against those caught traveling without a valid ticket and not paying the penalty fare or resolving the issue. Northern claims that this is a last resort for them. Those holding an ‘Anytime’ ticket have ended up in court for using it before 10 am, as reported by The Bolton News. They have been fined over £450 for this offense.
The letter from Northern, dated October 2 and from their Debt Recovery and Prosecutions Unit, offered Sam the chance to explain what had happened before they took any further action. He has responded by emailing their revenue protection team, explaining the situation. ‘I'm still optimistic that Northern will see sense and drop the matter,’ says Sam, ‘especially after the huge reaction my posts have received. But for now, I'll just have to wait and see.’
The Department for Transport has stated that ticketing has become far too complicated, and they are committed to simplifying it for customers as part of the biggest overhaul of the railways in a generation. They have instructed Northern to review these cases urgently and ensure that their ticketing policy is clear and fair for passengers at all times. A spokesperson for Northern told Metro that it is the responsibility of all train users to buy a valid ticket or obtain a promise to pay voucher before boarding the train, which they can present to the conductor or revenue protection officer during a ticket inspection. They also mentioned that the majority of their customers, around 96%, do this correctly.
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