Penalty Fares

In order to encourage passengers to purchase their tickets before travelling, c2c operates a Penalty Fares scheme. If you board a train without a valid ticket for your journey you may be liable to pay a Penalty Fare.

If the ticket office is closed please buy your ticket from the ticket machine at the station. Failure to produce a valid ticket for your entire journey could result in a minimum Penalty Fare of £20.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please use the list below to navigate to an area of interest:

Can I buy my ticket at the destination if I am in a rush?
What if the ticket office is closed or the station does not have a ticket office and the automatic self-service ticket machine is out of order?
If I don't have a ticket, will I automatically have to pay a Penalty Fare?
Is there a right of appeal against a Penalty Fare?
What methods of payment can I use to pay a Penalty Fare?
What if I am unable to pay the full amount of the Penalty Fare on the spot?
Who can charge a Penalty Fare?
How much is the Penalty Fare?
If I pay a Penalty Fare on the train, does it cover the remainder of my journey from the next stop?
What if I want to buy a Season Ticket and the ticket office is closed?
What if I travel beyond my normal destination?
What should I do if I have forgotten my Season Ticket and/or photocard?
What if I discover that I have forgotten my Season Ticket and/or photocard once I have boarded the train?
What if I have purchased a discounted ticket with a Railcard, but cannot produce the Railcard on the actual journey?
If there is a queue at the ticket office can I still board the train without a valid ticket?

No. If you board a train without a valid ticket you will be charged a Penalty Fare.

There is a further automatic machine called a Permit to Travel machine that looks similar to a 'Pay & Display' car park machine and is normally located near the station entrance/exit or on the station itself.

You should insert the maximum number of coins you have with you into the Permit to Travel machine, up to the value of your journey. Press the button and you will be issued with a car park style Pay & Display permit, that should be exchanged for a valid ticket at the first opportunity, be that on the train or at your destination before leaving the station.

The Permit to Travel must be exchanged for a valid ticket within two hours. The amount paid for the Permit to Travel will be deducted from the value of the ticket you require.

You are responsible for buying a ticket that is valid for your journey before travelling, otherwise you will be charged a Penalty Fare. If the ticket office is closed you should purchase a ticket from the self-service ticket machine or buy a Permit to Travel.

Yes. You have 21 days to appeal against the Penalty Fare charged by writing to the Independent Penalty Fares Appeal Service (IPFAS). The address for this service is printed at the bottom of the Penalty Fare notice.

You can use cash, cheque (supported by a cheque guarantee card) or credit/chargecard (MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Maestro or Delta) with Chip & PIN (where accepted). However, we do not accept Solo or Electron cards.

You do not have to pay all of the Penalty Fare immediately. Authorised Collectors may require a passenger to make the minimum payment that is equal to the normal fare payable for the journey which you are making.

You are required by law to provide your full name and correct address, you will then be given 21 days to pay the remaining amount of the Penalty Fare.

Any member of staff who has been trained as an Authorised Collector and is carrying an authorised collector's ID badge can charge Penalty Fares.

If you board a train without a ticket valid for your entire journey or a valid Permit to Travel, you will be liable to pay a Penalty Fare of £20 or twice the appropriate single fare(whichever is the greater) to the next stop. You will also have to pay the appropriate full single fare to complete your journey as necessary.

No. The Penalty Fare only covers from the station where you got on the train to the next station at which the train stops after you have been charged a Penalty Fare. If you want to travel beyond the next station, you must also pay the relevant fare from that station to your final destination.

Provided that you have a Photocard, you can purchase a Weekly Season Ticket from the automatic self-service ticket machines. However, if you wish to buy a Monthly Season Ticket or longer, you should purchase a single ticket for your destination or a Permit to Travel and then buy your Season Ticket at your destination.

The cost of your single ticket or Permit to Travel will be deducted from the cost of your Season Ticket.

It is your responsibility to purchase any additional tickets that you require to make your original ticket valid for your entire journey before travelling; otherwise you may be liable to pay a Penalty Fare.

You should purchase a daily ticket to cover your journey before travelling. You may subsequently apply for a refund on this daily ticket at the ticket office where you purchased your Season Ticket. Only two such refund applications will be considered in a 12 month period and an admin fee may be charged.

The on-train staff will issue you with a Left Season form for the journey that you are undertaking at the time. This form must be forwarded to the address on it, with a clear photocopy of your Season Ticket and photocard. You will still be required to purchase a daily ticket for any subsequent journey.

You are liable to pay a Penalty Fare, as the discounted ticket is only valid on production of the Railcard.

No, it is your responsibility to allow yourself enough time to purchase a ticket before travelling. Automatic self-service ticket machines are provided at the majority of c2c stations as an additional method of purchase and tickets can also be bought in advance of travel from ticket offices, the tele-sales office on 08457 44 44 22 or via our online booking section.