Penalty Fares
A penalty fare is a charge applied because you are travelling without a ticket or have the wrong ticket for the journey you are making, and are therefore being issued with a higher costing ticket.
On the train - Penalty Fares
We operate a Penalty Fares scheme that covers all routes except for:
- Ipswich-Felixstowe
- Ipswich-Harwich International
- Stowmarket-Cambridge
- Ipswich-Lowestoft
- Norwich-Sheringham
- Norwich-Lowestoft
- Norwich-Great Yarmouth
- Ely-Norwich
- Sudbury-Marks Tey
- Manningtree-Harwich
Wickford-Southminster
In addition to the stations not highlighted, Penalty Fares do not currently apply to customers boarding National Express trains at Cressing, Emerson Park, Needham Market, Stansted Airport and Weeley.
At a Penalty Fare station, if the ticket office is closed you must buy a ticket at the self-service ticket machine or 'Permit to Travel' machine. Where a 'Permit to Travel' machine is provided it will be switched on when the ticket office is closed.
To obtain your 'Permit to Travel', insert coins up to the value of your fare. You must exchange your 'Permit to Travel' for a valid ticket at the first opportunity, and pay any difference in fare, either from on-train staff or at a ticket office. The exchange should be made within two hours of buying a 'Permit to Travel'.
You must always travel with a valid ticket or a 'Permit to Travel' for your train journey before you board a train at a Penalty Fare station. If you cannot present a valid ticket or 'Permit to Travel' when requested, you will be liable to pay a Penalty Fare of £20 or twice the appropriate full Single fare to the next station at which the train stops, whichever is the greater. You will then be required to leave the train at that stop or, if you wish to remain on the train, purchase a full Single fare ticket to your destination.
For more details on penalty fares, please pick up a Penalty Fares Leaflet at one of our staffed train stations.
Alternatively, please view our bespoke Penalty Fares FAQs section.
Fare Dodging
National Express is committed to ensuring all customers have paid the fare for the journey they are making. If you believe a fellow customer is deliberately avoiding payment of their fare you can text the details to 60006. Please start your message with the word dodger and provide us with details of the train you are travelling on, where you are travelling from and destination, the carriage and a few details of what the person looks like. For example: 1600 London - Norwich Coach J Tall person. All information will be treated in the strictest confidence.