Rail fare dodgers stopped in their tracks

A District Judge has suggested that Irish Rail advertise their policy that passengers can no longer purchase tickets on the train.

Irish Rail prosecuted sixteen people before Loughrea District Court for not having valid train tickets.

Judge James Faughnan said when he used the train services he often bought his ticket onboard and asked if that facility was still available for people who were running late or in the case of the Ticket Vending Machine being out of order at train stations.

Denis Phelan, an inspector with Irish Rail giving evidence in a number of the cases before the Court, said that policy had changed a number of years ago and that passengers faced a fixed notice payment of €100 if they didn’t have a valid ticket. However, this could be appealed within 21 days.

He added that rarely would a TVM not be operational and, if it was, Irish Rail staff were notified.

Judge Faughnan said he wouldn’t have known about this policy though it had been introduced a few years ago and suggested Irish Rail advertise it again to remind people.

Excuses from those before the Court ranged from having left the wallet with the train ticket in it at the station to thinking they could use a relation’s Free Travel Pass. Others bought a student ticket but couldn’t provide their student ID or thought they could buy a ticket on board.

The maximum fine is €1,000 but Judge Faughnan fined either €200 or €150 depending on the individual case. Costs in all cases were a minimum of €295, though in a few of them that was €345.

In almost all cases, the fare was below €20 had the errant passengers paid the required ticket on the day. Some passengers had boarded at Athenry to get into the city and now have to pay an average €400 between fines and costs.