ScotRail to charge ticket dodgers £10 minimum fare

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ScotRail is to charge ticket dodgers a minimum £10 fare in a bid to crack down on people deliberately boarding a train without paying.

The charge will be more than the standard fare ticket on most shorter journeys.

It would see someone travelling from Bishopbriggs to Glasgow Queen Street paying £7 above the £3 pre-bought charge.

It will not apply where the cost of the ticket is already more than £10, but passengers will still have to buy before they board to qualify for any other discounted rail travel.

ScotRail estimates fare evasion costs the state-owned railway more than £11m each year.

Phil Campbell, ScotRail's customer operations director, said the move was aimed at "ensuring fairness for honest, fare-paying ScotRail passengers". He added: "Every pound lost through fraudulent travel is money that would have been reinvested into the railway, and we will take robust action to deal with those purposely avoiding payment. With more staff in place across the network, increased checks at stations, and the use of enhanced data analysis, we are reducing instances of ticket fraud year-on-year."

Exclusions to the £10 minimum fare charge will be:

- For customers who hold a national entitlement card

- If a ticket office in a station is closed

- If a station doesn't have a ticket office or ticket vending machine (TVM^▸ (Ticket Vending Machine))

- If a customer has a registered disability that prevents them from using TVMs

Staff will have the discretion to issue the minimum fare depending on the customer's circumstances

Customers who can only pay with cash would obtain a "promise to pay" ticket from a TVM and then purchase a ticket from on-train staff.

Transport Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: "While around 95% of passengers already travel with a valid ticket, it is only right that ScotRail can take action against those who seek to avoid doing so."

ScotRail say "a period of education" for passengers will be launched from 1 April before the full scheme is rolled out in July.