GREATER ANGLIA has revealed that almost 500 people have been prosecuted after a summer crackdown on fraudulent travel, and that the fines they paid totalled more than £72,000.
By the time court costs had been added, the penalties were over £100,000.
Greater Anglia revenue protection teams have detected the ticketless travellers on trains in Essex and Greater London since early July.
On 17 July, Southend magistrates considered the cases against 267 people, fining them a total of £54,694 and with costs of £26,618.
The same court heard another 217 cases on 2 August, and levied fines of £17,762 and £11,900 in costs.
Greater Anglia customer services director Andrew Goodrum said: “It is always cheaper to buy a ticket than to be fined for not having one. We will continue to crack down on people who deliberately catch our trains without buying tickets.
“Travelling without a ticket results in fares going up for everyone and reducing money available for investment in the railway.”