Thomas Chambers' website: Professor slapped with £155 railway fine for getting off his train one stop EARLY

Monday, September 27, 2010

Professor slapped with £155 railway fine for getting off his train one stop EARLY

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 3:48 PM on 27th September 2010

A university professor who got off his train one stop before his final destination was stunned when he was asked to pay £155 to leave the station.

Martyn Evans was told he would have to pay up after leaving the train at Darlington, near his home, rather than wait until Durham where he works at the university’s philosophy department.

Prof Evans had bought three advanced first-class singles from train firm, East Coast, to cover his journey from Durham to London, on to Birmingham and back to Durham.

'Disgusted': Professor Martyn Evans said he was made to feel like a 'wrongdoer' after getting off his train one stop early. He was ordered to pay £155 after being prevented from leaving the station by the automatic barrier

As it was approaching 8pm as he arrived in the North-East, he decided to disembark one stop early to go home to Hurworth near Darlington.

However, when he tried to leave the station, the automatic barrier would not let him through.

Station staff said his ticket was invalid because he had left the train too early, and was told he would have to pay some £155 - the price of the same ticket from Birmingham to Darlington.

Instead, he signed an invoice and asked to pay the ticket later.

Prof Evans said: 'Like most people, it did not enter my mind that I was in default of the terms and conditions by getting off the train early.

Train company East Coast said the policy was standard across the industry

'Anyone would understand that you’d be liable to pay extra if you stayed on the train too long.

'But by getting off early you are not even using all of the product that you’ve paid for.

'The whole process made me feel like a wrongdoer from the beginning and that disgusted me more than just the money itself.

'It’s absolute madness - no-one would anticipate you’d be at fault for getting off too early.'

Alexandra Woodsworth, Public Transport Campaigner at Campaign for Better Transport, said: 'The Government has promised us fair rail fares, but being charged excessively for getting off a stop early doesn’t seem like a fair deal.

'Passengers need greater flexibility if they are to choose the train over driving or flying, and information about ticket restrictions need to be made much clearer.'

Since the issue was highlighted, train company East Coast have now cancelled the fee as a 'goodwill gesture' - though defended its stance by saying that the policy was standard across the industry.

A spokesman for East Coast said: 'The terms and conditions of the Advanced Purchase First Class ticket - the ticket which Professor Evans had used for his journey - clearly state that breaking a journey en route, or starting from an intermediate station is not permitted.

'We have contacted Professor Evans to discuss this with him and, as we accept this was a genuine mistake on his behalf, we have cancelled the excess fare he was charged on this occasion as a gesture of goodwill