Penalty Fares
Penalty fares and prosecutions are something that most people who travel with us never have to face. To make sure you avoid the consequences of inadvertently travelling without a valid ticket, please read this information carefully.
Buy before you board
You must always have a valid ticket to travel on First Great Western trains because anyone who deliberately avoids paying their fare, risks prosecution. If you board any of our trains without a ticket, at a station where ticket buying services are available, you may be charged the full Single or Return fare relevant to your journey, or be reported for prosecution, or receive a penalty fare (if travelling from
a station within the penalty fares zone).
Download the penalty fares zones here in an Adobe PDF.
Understandably, you won’t be eligible for any railcard or other discounts. When a ticket office is closed, you should use a self-service ticket machine, or a Permit to Travel machine (where available), or buy your ticket on the train.
If you travel every day, it may be better (and cheaper) for you to buy a season ticket.
Buying a ticket
On our website
You can plan your journey and buy your tickets online at:
www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk
Over the phone
Call us on 08457 000 125 to arrange a journey and buy your tickets over the phone.
At the ticket office
You can pay for your ticket with cash, credit card, debit card, or cheque (valid cheque card needed). You also can buy tickets for any journey, including one starting from a different station, and those that include London Underground stations.
Please allow yourself plenty of time, especially at the busiest periods. Our targets for serving customers are within five minutes at peak times and three minutes at off-peak times. Peak time periods vary from station to station.
Self–service ticket machines
These are available at many stations, and come in three types: machines which accept cash only, those that accept cards only, and those which accept cash and cards. Most credit and debit cards are accepted where machines have the ability to do so. Machines that accept cash take all coins with the exception of 1p and 2p coins. Most of these machines also take £5 and £10 notes. In addition, some machines take £20 notes for purchasing more expensive tickets. You can buy a variety of tickets, including seven-day season tickets and discounted tickets for railcard holders.
Permit to Travel machines
If you can’t buy a ticket from the office or the self-service machine, look for the Permit to Travel machine (where available), then insert coins to the value of your ticket. A Permit to Travel is valid for two hours. During this time, you should exchange the permit for a ticket and pay any difference in fare, through on-train staff, at your interchange station or your destination station. Some machines do not require you to insert coins to obtain a Permit to Travel.
When the ticket office is closed or if you are travelling from an unstaffed station
In these circumstances, a selfservice ticket machine or Permit to
Travel machine should be working. In the unlikely event that it’s not, buy a ticket as soon as you can from staff on the train, or when you change trains. If you don’t have a ticket, or a Permit to Travel, and we believe you’ve had the opportunity to buy one, you may have to pay the full non-discounted fare, or a penalty fare if you are travelling within the penalty fares zone.
Ticket extensions
If you intend to travel further than your ticket allows, you should buy
an extra ticket before you get on the train. If you don’t do this when
you have the opportunity, you may have to pay a penalty fare. You
could even be prosecuted. Please note that London Underground
cannot issue ticket extensions for train operators’ services outside
the London Travel-card area.
Upgrading your ticket
If you have a standard ticket or season ticket and want to upgrade to First Class, you must buy a ticket upgrade before you travel. If you don’t, you will be charged the full First Class fare, or be reported for prosecution, or receive a penalty fare if you’re travelling within the penalty fares zone.
Season Ticket holders
If you forget your season ticket, you must buy another ticket or Permit to Travel before you start your journey. You can apply for a refund at the same station where your season ticket was issued. We will only consider giving you two such refunds during a 12-
month period.
Railcards
If you have a railcard, always carry it with you when you travel. Otherwise, your discounted ticket will be regarded as invalid. That means you could be charged the full adult fare, or be reported for prosecution, or receive a penalty fare if you’re travelling within the penalty fares zone.
Don’t forget your photocard
If you have a valid photocard to go with your Season Ticket, don’t forget it. Board a train without it and your ticket is not valid. In some cases, you will have to pay the full fare. You may also have to pay a
penalty fare and will not be eligible for a refund.
Penalty fares
If you join a First Great Western, South West Trains or Heathrow
Connect train at any of the designated penalty fares stations and travel to your final destination without a ticket or a permit to travel you will have to pay a penalty fare. This will be twice the full, single fare to the next station, or at least £20, whichever is greater. You will also have to pay the full fare for the rest of the journey.
Download the penalty fares zones here in an Adobe PDF.
National Rail Conditions of Carriage
There are National Conditions that apply to the sale and use of rail tickets. If you would like more information, pick up a copy of the ‘National Rail Conditions of Carriage’ booklet, available from
staffed stations or visit the National Rail Conditions of Carriage pages in our website.
Further information
This information is only a guide and is not a complete statement of the law or regulations. For further information, please contact 08457 000 125. In accordance with the Penalty Fares Rules (2002).
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