Train passengers using Northern services could be hit with £20 fine if they fail to get a ticket before boarding.

Northern - which has increasingly come under fire this year after a new timetable resulted in major delays and cancellations on routes into Huddersfield - said the new fines will come into force at the end of August.

They said it is designed to stop people getting on to trains without first paying for their ticket.

The penalties, which will be £20 fines or double the cost of a single fare (whichever is the greater), will be enforced at destination stations by Northern’s authorised collectors.

It will effect seven routes in total including the Huddersfield to Sheffield trains. There are also three Leeds routes and three Manchester routes being targeted.

Liam Sumpter, Regional Director for Northern said: “Penalty fares are designed to tackle the minority of rail users who persist in refusing to buy their tickets before boarding a train; they have not been brought in to criminalise our customers.

“Most stations on penalty fare routes will have either ticket offices or ticket vending machines and so customers will have the opportunity to purchase tickets before they travel. In addition, tickets may be bought at any time before a customer boards a train by using the Northern App, with no booking fees incurred.

Northern Rail train

“If these facilities are not available at your station, or if offices are closed or machines out of order, customers will, of course, still be able to buy a ticket from the on-board conductor.”

Mr Sumpter said that where customers want to pay cash, but ticket machines are card only, they will be able to obtain ‘promise to pay’ notices from the machines which can be presented, along with cash to the conductor, adding that the full range of fares will still be available on board.

But he said if passengers board from stations with ticket machines or staffed ticket offices, but do not have a valid ticket, they may be issued with a penalty fare.

Mr Sumpter added: “Everyone travelling by train should have a valid ticket before boarding that service. We are investing millions of pounds to introduce more than 600 new ticket machines across the network and have developed our website and mobile app to give customers more options and to make buying a ticket easier than ever before.

“However, we understand there will still be some circumstances in which customers are unable to buy tickets and our authorised collectors are able to use their discretion to ensure no-one faces unfair penalties.”

An independent appeals panel will be able to assess any fines that are contested.