Rail fare dodgers will now face £20 penalty

Fare dodgers on London's busiest mainline rail commuter routes face minimum fines of £20 - double the existing figure, it was announced today. Transport minister Tony McNulty said millions of pounds are lost across the national network every year through fare evasion.

Mr McNulty said the increase would send a clear signal of the Government's willingness to tackle fare dodging, and that the current £10 penalty was no longer enough to deter the persistent cheats.

The new fines will come into force next month.

The cheats are costing London's three busiest rail commuter operators nearly ?40 million a year - enough to buy 60 new state-of-the art carriages or hire more than 2,000 extra staff.