A public consultation has been launched to gauge opinions on government suggestions to make penalty rail fares more just.

Rail minister Claire Perry said: “More people are using our railways than ever, and passengers rightly expect that we take strong action against fare dodgers. But passengers penalised through no fault of their own must be treated fairly.”

The Department for Transport (DfT) has suggested a number of improvements, such as requiring the two bodies that hear appeals to be completely independent of any rail operator. At present, the Independent Penalty Fares Appeals Service (IPFAS) is owned by the Go-Ahead group, as is Southeastern, which has the potential to compromise the body’s impartially.

There are also proposals aimed at making the appeal process more transparent and fair, such as banning operators from describing the penalty fares as a criminal matter, rather than a civil one. The 21-day period that is currently allowed for paying the fare would also be suspended if a passenger decides to appeal the decision.