Northern criticised after young people prosecuted for peak-time railcard use

The train operator Northern has been criticised for prosecuting young people, leaving some facing bills of hundreds of pounds, after they have used their railcards to save just a few pounds on morning journeys.

Restrictions on a 16-25 railcard, which can also be bought by full-time students, mean that discounts can only be applied to an “anytime” ticket before 10am if the fare is £12 or more, requiring cardholders to pay full fare for cheaper tickets.

However, there are exceptions to this rule – railcards can be used on early morning trains at a weekend, or during the months of July and August.

The same restrictions also apply to 26-30 railcards, but do not apply to senior railcards unless journeys are made wholly within the London and South East Network Railcard area.

Some rail users have said that the rules are confusing, and that they have ended up falling foul of the regulations after buying discounted tickets, unaware that their railcards were not valid.

Sam Williamson, 22, an engineering graduate from Glossop, received a letter from Northern threatening him with prosecution over a £1.90 fare discrepancy after he mistakenly used his railcard on a morning train.

Williamson had been travelling from Manchester to London on 5 September. He started his journey at Broadbottom in Greater Manchester, and bought a ticket via the Northern app applying his railcard discount.

“I’ve got this service, this exact one, with a railcard discount multiple times in August,” he said. “So essentially, when I see it’s not available for the first trains on that September day I just assume, “Oh, it’s probably an app error, I’m sure it will be fine.” Evidently, this was not the case.”

He tried to explain to the conductor who challenged him on the train that he had made an honest mistake, and offered to pay for a new ticket, but he was told that option was not available.

Williamson has been asked to contact the company in writing within two weeks to explain what happened, and warned he may face legal proceedings. “I‘ve seen people saying the word Kafkaesque,” he said. “I think that’s actually a reasonably accurate summary.”

Jack Fifield, a journalist with Bolton News, has also highlighted several cases on X where young people have been prosecuted for buying discounted tickets.

A 26-year-old man was fined £462.30 at Cheshire magistrates court in September, after using his railcard on a £4.30 ticket from Prescot to Liverpool Lime Street. Last month, a 23-year-old woman was also fined £462.80 for using her railcard on a £4.80 ticket from Daisy Hill to Wigan Wallgate.

In August, a 27-year-old man was ordered to pay £462.80 at Doncaster Justice Centre South after he used a railcard during a peak-time service on a £4.80 ticket between Kiveton Bridge and Darnall.

While restrictions apply across the rail network, Northern has been criticised for taking a heavy-handed approach in bringing private prosecutions against rail users who breach the rules, making only small savings.

Other rail operators also will not allow customers to apply the discount at peak times when purchasing tickets through their apps. “I think it’s frustrating to be honest, it’s a reflection on poorer infrastructure and then subsequently too heavy-handed handling,” Williamson said.

A Northern spokesperson said: “As with all train operators across the UK, everyone has a duty to buy a valid ticket or obtain a promise to pay voucher before they board the train and be able to present it to the conductor or revenue protection officer during a ticket inspection.

“The overwhelming majority of our customers – upwards of 96% – do just that.”