A woman who used TikTok to share tips on how to avoid buying train tickets has been caught and fined by East Midlands Railway (EMR). The train operator said the woman shared several videos in which she encouraged others to cheat the company.
The individual, who was not named by EMR, was filmed talking about travelling in Derby, Burton-upon-Trent and Tamworth. She claimed to know several tricks to avoid paying, including hiding in the toilet when ticket inspectors came along and pretending her phone was flat so she could not access her all-important electronic ticket.
EMR worked with the British Transport Police to apprehend the woman, who was fined £773 for her dishonest behaviour. “It’s indefensible for certain individuals to believe they’re exempt from paying for our services,” said Dave Meredith, customer services director at the firm. “Our teams are across our network looking for people who think it’s ok to break the law.”
The company also warned passengers that they face hefty fines if they are caught travelling without a valid ticket. This can include a £100 penalty, on top of the cost of a single commute. While rail travel continues to be popular with UK citizens, fraud remains a problem for the industry, which relies on income from ticket sales to maintain services
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