A 'DON’T cross the line' warning being issued to persistent fare evaders on the Northern network.

The rail operator has recently launched a new campaign aimed at making sure its customers buy tickets before they board trains.

They say most rail travellers follow the rules, using Northern’s website, mobile app or a ticket machine to pay.

But some people persist in trying to fare dodge and, in 2020 alone, there were more than 8,300 court prosecutions for people trying to avoid paying for travel.

Jason Wade, Head of Retail Operations at Northern, said: “There are some who think they can travel without paying and we are doing all we can to tackle this small minority who think they are above the law.

“We have penalty fares in place across most routes of the Northern network which can see those who do not have valid tickets issued with on-the-spot fines.”

In 2020, Northern issued 30,000 penalty fares and while most people paid the £20 fine, some refused to pay or were found to be persistent fare dodgers.

He said: “In some cases we are reluctantly left with no option but to take the matter to court."

To help remind people to buy a ticket before boarding a train, Northern has added red lines at some of its station entrances with a stark message ‘cross the line, risk a fine’.