Tens of thousands of rail passengers convicted for alleged rail fare evasion in England and Wales could be refunded and cleared after a ruling that a fast-track fare process for prosecution should never have been used.
UK's chief magistrate, Judge Goldspring, declared six test cases as void, tasking The Department for Transport (DfT) and train companies to compile those who might have been unfairly penalised.
Government-run Northern Trains, said: “We would like to apologise again for the errors that have occurred.
“Northern remains committed to ensuring that all our customers are treated fairly, which means ensuring all passengers who board our trains have a valid ticket.”
The DfT also acknowledged the ruling: "While fare evasion should be tackled, the right process should be followed at all times."