Train operators should reimburse passengers who overpay, says watchdog

The rail regulator is calling on train companies to refund passengers who accidentally buy tickets that are too expensive for their journey.

The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) argues it's still too easy for passengers to buy the wrong ticket when using machines, BBC News reports.

Research from the watchdog found that 7% of passengers underpay leaving themselves exposed to a fine, while 13% are paying too much.

'Despite investment in new technology and the removal of jargon from ticket machines, our new research shows passengers may be paying more for their journey than necessary,' said John Larkinson, ORR Director of Railway Markets and Economics.

'We are calling on train companies to commit to refund anyone who finds that they could have bought a cheaper ticket for the same journey,' he added.

ORR used mystery shoppers to test the user friendliness of rail ticket machines, with nearly two-thirds (65%) unable to find any information on the types of tickets which could or could not be bought.

More than half (57%) said the machines did not explain the times when peak and off-peak tickets were valid, while nearly one-third (32%) said there was no information on the machines about ticket restrictions.

The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents train operators, acknowledged that there was a problem with machines, to which it is working on a solution to improve them.

However, it suggested that 'complex, decades-old government rail fare regulations' were making it hard for operators to offer simpler options on ticket machines.

Rail operators C2C and Scotrail already have measures in places for when passengers overpay.