Regulation of Railways Act 1889

5 Penalty for avoiding payment of fare. U.K.

(1) Every passenger by a railway shall, on request by an officer or servant of a railway company, either produce, and if so requested deliver up, a ticket showing that his fare is paid, or pay his fare from the place whence he started, or give the officer or servant his name and address; and in case of default shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding [F1 level 2 on the standard scale].

(2) If a passenger having failed either to produce, or if requested to deliver up, a ticket showing that his fare is paid, or to pay his fare, refuses [F2 or fails] on request by an officer or servant of a railway company, to give his name and address, any officer of the company F3 ... may detain him until he can be conveniently brought before some justice or otherwise discharged by due course of law.

(3) If any person—

(a) Travels or attempts to travel on a railway without having previously paid his fare, and with intent to avoid payment thereof; or

(b) Having paid his fare for a certain distance, knowingly and wilfully proceeds by train beyond that distance without previously paying the additional fare for the additional distance, and with intent to avoid payment thereof; or

(c) Having failed to pay his fare, gives in reply to a request by an officer of a railway company a false name or address,

he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding [F4 level 3 on the standard scale], or, in the case of a second or subsequent offence, either to a fine not exceeding [F4 level 3 on the standard scale], or in the discretion of the court to imprisonment for a term not exceeding [F5 three months].

(4) The liability of an offender to punishment under this section shall not prejudice the recovery of any fare payable by him.

[F6 (5) In this section—

(a) “railway company” includes an operator of a train, and

(b) “operator”, in relation to a train, means the person having the management of that train for the time being.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Words substituted (E.W.S.) by virtue of (E.W.) Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48), ss. 37, 39(1)(b)(ii), 46 and (S.) Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 (c. 21), ss. 289F, 289G

F2 Words inserted in relation to railways of (a) British Railways Board by British Railways Act 1965 (c.xxi) s. 35(5) and (b) London Transport Executive by London Transport Act 1965 (c.xli), s. 34(5)

F3 Words repealed (E.W.) by Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (c. 60, SIF 95), s. 119, Sch. 7 Pt. I

F4 Words substituted (E.W.S.) by virtue of (E.W.) Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48), ss. 37, 39(1)(b)(ii), 46 and (S.) Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 (c. 21), ss. 289F, 289G

F5 Words substituted by Transport Act 1962 (c. 46), s. 84(2)

F6 S. 5(5) added (E.W.S.) (1.4.1994) by S.I. 1994/857, art. 2 Sch. para 5

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 Ss. 1(1)(c), 5 the expressions “company” and “railway company” extended by Channel Tunnel Act 1987 (c. 53, SIF 102), ss. 43, 45, Sch. 6 para. 3, Sch. 7 Pt. VI para. 2

C2 S. 5 applied (E.W.S.) (29.1.1991) by S.I. 1991/134, art. 3(2).

S. 5 applied (E.W.S.) (28.3.1991) by S.I. 1991/933, art. 3(2).

S. 5 applied (E.W.S.) (25.4.1991) by S.I. 1991/1111, art. 3(2).

S. 5 applied (E.W.S.) (4.5.1991) by S.I. 1991/1162, art. 3(2).

S. 5 applied (E.W.S.) (26.6.1991) by S.I. 1991/1619, art. 3(2).

S. 5 applied (E.W.S.) (31.8.1991) by S.I. 1991/1965, art. 5(2).

S. 5 applied (E.W.S.) (28.9.1991) by S.I. 1991/2194, art. 3(3).

S. 5 applied (E.W.S.) (28.9.1991) by S.I. 1991/2210, art. 3(2).

S. 5 applied (E.W.S.) (26.11.1991) by S.I. 1991/2682, art. 3(3).

S. 5 applied (E.W.S.) (6.12.1991) by S.I. 1991/2812, art. 3(3).

C3 S. 5 applied (E.W.S.) (29.4.1992) by S.I. 1992/1113, art. 3(3).

S. 5 applied (E.W.S.) (21.5.1992) by S.I. 1992/1267, art. 4(2).

S. 5 applied (E.W.S.) (26.3.1993) by S.I. 1993/1083, art. 3(3)

S. 5 applied (E.W.S.) (2.9.1993) by S.I. 1993/2153, art. 3(2)

S. 5 applied (E.W.S.) (22.1.1997) by S.I. 1997/102, art. 3(2)

S. 5 applied (E.W.S.) (14.5.1994) by S.I. 1994/1331, art. 3(3)

S. 5 applied (E.W.S.) (16.10.1996) by S.I. 1996/2660, art. 4(5)

S. 5 applied (E.W.S.) (4.5.1996) by S.I. 1996/1267, art. 3(3)

S. 5 incorporated (with modifications) (4.3.1994) by S.I. 1994/691, s. 3(1)

S. 5 applied (4.5.1995) by S.I. 1995/1236, art. 3(3)

S. 5 incorporated (29.7.1995) by S.I. 1995/2142, art. 3(1)

S. 5 applied (16.5.2002) by S.I. 2002/1384, art. 3(3) (with arts. 10(2), 11)

C4 S. 5 restricted (3.7.2000) by 1999 c. 29, s. 245, 425(2), Sch. 17, para. 8(1)(2)(3)(a)(4) (with Sch. 12 para. 9(1)); S.I. 2000/801, art. 2, Sch. Pt. 3

C5 S. 5 applied (S.) (28.12.2012) by The Banchory and Crathes Light Railway Order 2012 (S.S.I. 2012/345), arts. 1, 5(2)

C6 S. 5 modified (23.2.2017) by High Speed Rail (London - West Midlands) Act 2017 (c. 7), s. 70(1), Sch. 29 para. 6

C7 S. 5 modified (11.2.2021) by High Speed Rail (West Midlands - Crewe) Act 2021 (c. 2), s. 64(1), Sch. 28 para. 5

C8 S. 5(1) modified by Channel Tunnel Act 1987 (c. 53, SIF 102), ss. 43, 45, Sch. 6 para. 4(1), Sch. 7 para. 2

C9 S. 5(1)(2) modified (27.7.1993) by 1993 c. xv, s. 63

S. 5(1)(2) applied (with modifications) (21.7.1994) by 1994 c. xv, s. 66(1)(2)

C10 S. 5(1)(3) modified (18.12.1996) by 1996 c. 61, s. 20, Sch. 9 para. 8(1)

S. 5(2) modified (18.12.1996) by 1996 c. 61, s. 20, Sch. 9 para. 8(2)(c)

C11 S. 5(1) modified (22.7.2008) by Crossrail Act 2008 (c. 18), Sch. 11 para. 7(1)

C12 S. 5(2) modified by Channel Tunnel Act 1987 (c. 53, SIF 102), ss. 43, 45, Sch. 6 para. 4(2)(c), Sch. 7 para. 2

C13 S. 5(2) modified (22.7.2008) by Crossrail Act 2008 (c. 18), Sch. 11 para. 7(2)

C14 S. 5(3) Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), ss. 35 (in relation to liability on first and subsequent convictions), 38 (increase of fines) and 46 (substitution of references to levels on the standard scale) apply (E.W.)

C15 S. 5(3) Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975 (c. 21, SIF 39:1), s. 289E (as inserted by Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), s. 54 (in relation to liability on first and subsequent convictions), applies (S.)

C16 S. 5(3) modified by Channel Tunnel Act 1987 (c. 53, SIF 102), ss. 43, 45, Sch. 6 para. 4(1), Sch. 7 para. 2

C17 S. 5(3) modified (22.7.2008) by Crossrail Act 2008 (c. 18), Sch. 11 para. 7(1)

C18 S. 5(3)(a)(b) restricted (21.7.1994) by 1994 c. xv, s. 55(1)(2)(c)