Revenue Protection Question

[RailForum.Netter]

At an un-ticket gated railway station, if you pass the ticket machine and ticket office to go on to the platform, yet have no intention to travel, can you still be prosecuted for passing a ticket machine/office without buying a ticket i.e. are you still in a compulsory ticket area? Or, do Revenue Protection Officers rely on people admitting that they have travelled/attempted to travel?

For example, recently, I was near a station in the West Midlands, and I desperately needed to use the toilet. I went to the ticket office and asked to buy a platform ticket. I was told that they don't sell them anymore, because they are no longer needed. This station had no ticket barriers. I needed to pass the ticket office to access the toilet though. Is this information correct that I was given? Is it legally alright to pass the ticket machine/office at a station, as long as there are no barriers and you have NO intention of boarding a train?

[Beeyar Wunby]

Hi RFN & welcome to the forum

Originally Posted by RailForum.Netter

At an un-ticket gated railway station, if you pass the ticket machine and ticket office to go on to the platform, yet have no intention to travel, can you still be prosecuted for passing a ticket machine/office without buying a ticket

AFAIAA there is no such offence as you mention. What you must not do is travel on a train without the correct ticket.

i.e. are you still in a compulsory ticket area?

I believe that a Compulsory Ticket Area is a specifically defined arrangement, and needs to be clearly marked as such. If it doesn't say so, how are people to know ?

Or, do Revenue Protection Officers rely on people admitting that they have travelled/attempted to travel?

If a person admits to it, then that's great. But we have CCTV all over the place. On trains, on platforms, and quite a few other places I won't mention. There are also plain clothes staff who travel on trains and gather covert evidence. If someone has travelled across the network, there should be time/date stamped CCTV evidence of it.

If you are accused of Ticketless Travel, then it is up to the Revenue Prosecution Team to provide the solid evidence to support this. A court will require this much. You are presumed to be innocent until proven otherwise.

For example, recently, I was near a station in the West Midlands, and I desperately needed to use the toilet. I went to the ticket office and asked to buy a platform ticket. I was told that they don't sell them anymore, because they are no longer needed. This station had no ticket barriers. I needed to pass the ticket office to access the toilet though. Is this information correct that I was given? Is it legally alright to pass the ticket machine/office at a station, as long as there are no barriers and you have NO intention of boarding a train?

If you have attempted to buy a platform ticket and have had your offer declined, then you have done all you can.

I'd add some advice here. Most railway people aren't dragons. We take ALOT of aggression off the public, who see us as a legitimate punchbag for their anger.

But if you approach us honestly and say what you want, most are happy to help.

So in future, don't be shy. Just say to the ticket office staff "I don't want to travel on a train, is it all right if I just use your platform toilet ?"

The vast majority will say it's ok, because it's the little scrotes who sneak in and smash up the toilets that we have a problem with.

If you have sought and received permission, then you are covered.

Hope this helps, BW

[bramleyman]

IF I was still at work, I would allow for anybody using the toilets, but only IF there were no trains due in soon, and they had to pass a barrier first, and as some stations you do need to, as I have seen as well as done myself.