Train firms must stop criminalising 'innocent errors', report says

An inquiry by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) found that train passengers are facing unfair penalties for minor ticketing mistakes due to the complex fare system in Britain. Cases of passengers being threatened with court action for innocent errors like selecting the wrong railcard discount were highlighted. The rail industry, while acknowledging the need to tackle fare evasion costing £400m annually, was advised to stop disproportionately targeting travelers for minor mistakes. The government plans to simplify ticketing and potentially establish a state-owned rail operator to address the issue.