Penalty fares
Rail Services
Railway operators normally known as penalty fares trains can impose a penalty fare on a passenger who travels without the correct ticket in some areas. This will be an on the spot penalty above the normal fare and is not a fine. If the fare you should have paid is ?10.00 or less, the penalty will be ?20.00. If the fare was over ?10.00, the penalty fare will be double the fare.
You may want to appeal against a penalty fare if there was:-
- insufficient notice that you were travelling in a penalty fare area because, for example, signs were inadequate,
- English is not your first language, or you were unable to read the notices because you are visually impaired
- inadequate opportunity to buy a ticket to travel because, for example, there was a long queue at the ticket office and the ticket machine was not available, or you were unable to use a machine because of a physical disability.
An appeal should be made to the Independent Penalty Fares Appeal Service (IPFAS) . This is managed by Connex SouthEastern Ltd, but as a separate unit whose management does not report to the commercial director. Most people agreed that appeals must be dealt with independently and consistently, but there was little agreement on what the practical arrangements should be.
IPFAS remains a separate unit, with its own accounts and a line management that does not report to the commercial director. It also continues to receive enough funding to carry out its functions, while costs are fairly distributed between operators using the service. To make sure that this is the case, we have agreed the charging arrangements between IPFAS and the operators who use the service.
There is a criminal offence of travelling on a train with the intention of avoiding paying the fare. If you are charged with this offence, you should get further advice from a specialist adviser, for example at a Citizens Advice bureau.
Underground services
Penalty fares are only imposed on London underground services and not underground services outside of London. Penalties are imposed for the same reason as on buses, and are dealt with in the same way
An individual who has been issued with a penalty fare notice on London underground service may submit an appeal against the decision within 21 days of the date of issue of the appeals. Appellant should write to the London Underground Penalty Fares Appeals Office
For Address see under heading
Transport services in London
Complaints about rail services
While train journey if you have any problems like train delay or being cancelled, you should address it to the operator's customer services officer. For late or delayed train services you may be entitled to compensation. When your unhappy with the train services you should check this with the train operator's customer services offer. Before complaining about a station you should find out whether the station is run by a train operating company or by Rail track. The logo will be displayed at the station so that before complaining about the railway services its better to check the logo and then address the complaint to the appropriate customer services officer.
If you want to complaint about train services you will get a complaint form at a station or you can also complain by telephone. In the complaint form you should give description of what happened. It includes the date and time of the journey, which stations you used, how many people traveled with you.. Train operators must have a passengers' charter that has been approved by the Rail Regulator. The charter gives information on how to complain by setting out service standards. There will be notices at station and on trains which gives complaint addresses and telephone bills.
When you have a complain about train services, if a complaint is likely to involve more than one company or if your not sure which company you should make your complain to, complain to whoever seems most relevant. After receiving a complaint form, this company should go through the complaint or forward it to the appropriate company or companies.
If you're dissatisfied with the performance of a train operator company about your complaint when your traveling outside London, you should complain to the Rail Passengers' Committee. The Rail Passengers' Council (RPC) provides the address of the local Rail Passengers' Committee. When you come across such type of problems in London, you should contact the London Transport Users' Committee (LTUC)
For Address see under heading
Transport services in London
Complaints about the National Rail Enquiry Service
When you have a complain about train services, the National Enquiry Service (NRES) gives telephone information on timetables, fares and tickets on any route. We also get information from NRES about engineering works and the best route to travel. Contact number to complaint about the train service is 08457 48950.
Customers can complain to the Rail Passengers' Committee if you have been given incorrect tickets... You can also collect the address of the local Rail Passengers' Committee from the Rail Passengers' Council (RPC). You have to give information to the RPC about the date and time you made the call to NRES and also your own telephone code for them to identify the call centre which handled your original enquiry.
Complaints about underground services
The term underground services describes the underground pipes, cables and other equipment used by industries which supply services such as water, gas, electricity and telecommunications. There are underground services outside London also, they are Merseyside, Tyne and Wear and Glasgow. They are the responsibility for the Passenger Transport Executive for the area. In London the underground services are the responsibility of Transport for London (TFL).
see under heading
Transport services in London
When you have a complaint, go to the service operator. The operator's name and address must be displayed on the train and will also be displayed in the station.
If your dissatisfied with the outcome of your initial complaint to the line manager you can complain to London Underground Customer Service Centre.
For address see under heading
Transport services in London
If you stil feel unhappy with your outcome of the complaint you should complain to the London Transport Users' Committee (LTUC)
