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Passenger has ICE ticket, but gets on the RE train - penalty?

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In the thread below, the passenger held a ticket for a long distance train, but got the local train and was given a MG11.


What would happen in other countries? Excess? Prosecution? Penalty fare?

Germany: Passenger has a ICE ticket, but gets on the RE train departing a few minutes after
France: Passenger has a TGV ticket, but gets on the TER train departing a few minutes after

Further example added:
France: Passenger has a Trenitalia ticket from Paris to Lyon but gets on an SNCF service instead.
 
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In the thread below, the passenger held a ticket for a long distance train, but got the local train and was given a MG11.


What would happen in other countries? Excess? Prosecution? Penalty fare?

Germany: Passenger had a ICE ticket, but got on the RE train departing a few minutes after
France: Passenger had a TGV ticket, but got on the TER train departing a few minutes after
Thread not so long ago if anyone can locate it.
 

rvdborgt

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In Germany, there are no turnstiles... you can use an RE though, unless you hold a Sparpreis type ticket that binds you to a certain IC/ICE train
In France, you can't use a TER instead of a TGV.
 

DanielB

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In the Netherlands there would be no problem on most routes (for NS-fares it doesn't matter which train you take on the respective routes). However be aware on routes with multiple operators: there you must be checked in at the operator you're travelling with. Otherwise you'll be fined for travelling without valid ticket.
With paper tickets, select the correct carrier when buying the ticket. Both the ticket machine and the E-ticket website will show a list of options to select either NS, regional operator or free choice of route/carrier. The latter having the same price as the most expensive option. Also in this case the wrong ticket (for example when using an NS train from Maastricht to Sittard having paid the Arriva-fare from Maastricht to Sittard) will result in a fine.
 
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Also in this case the wrong ticket (for example when using an NS train from Maastricht to Sittard having paid the Arriva-fare from Maastricht to Sittard) will result in a fine.

Thank you, would you think they would charge as much as €65 as suggested below?

NS said:
The fine for travelling on public transport without a ticket is € 50, over and above the cost of the train ticket. The € 50 fine has been imposed by the State Secretary of Infrastructure and Environment, and is the same amount for all forms of public transport: bus, tram, metro, and train. The administration costs are € 15.
 

yorkie

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I doubt a customer would be threatened with prosecution almost anywhere outside England & Wales; the situation here is an absolute disgrace.
 

ainsworth74

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In the thread below, the passenger held a ticket for a long distance train, but got the local train and was given a MG11.

What would happen in other countries? Excess? Prosecution? Penalty fare?

Germany: Passenger had a ICE ticket, but got on the RE train departing a few minutes after
France: Passenger had a TGV ticket, but got on the TER train departing a few minutes after
I'm not sure those are the correct comparisons. The issue in the thread was holding a ticket which was only valid on a specific company not that they had a ticket valid on a long distance train and then travelled on a local service. You could quite easily have the reverse scenario where the ticket is restricted to the local service operator only and therefore not valid on the long distance operator!

I would suggest therefore the question that should be being asked is what would happen if someone travelled, for instance, on a ticket which was only valid on Trenitalia from Paris to Lyon on an SNCF service instead.
 

Austriantrain

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I doubt a customer would be threatened with prosecution almost anywhere outside England & Wales; the situation here is an absolute disgrace.

In Austria, traveling without valid ticket is an administrative offense (kind of a minor criminal charge, like speeding), but only if you don’t pay the (penalty) fare set by the operator. I have actually never heard of a case where a prosecution took place.
 

Austriantrain

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In Switzerland it would be about £80 plus fare.

In Austria, it depends on the operator. Both Vienna Transport and ÖBB (except on long-distance trains, where tickets can still be bought on board with a small surcharge) charge a penalty fare of €105.
 

AlterEgo

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I'm not sure those are the correct comparisons. The issue in the thread was holding a ticket which was only valid on a specific company not that they had a ticket valid on a long distance train and then travelled on a local service. You could quite easily have the reverse scenario where the ticket is restricted to the local service operator only and therefore not valid on the long distance operator!

I would suggest therefore the question that should be being asked is what would happen if someone travelled, for instance, on a ticket which was only valid on Trenitalia from Paris to Lyon on an SNCF service instead.
Effectively, we are asking what would happen if someone had no ticket at all. Because that’s really what it comes down to.

Do any other countries prosecute people who have the wrong ticket or no ticket?
 

SHD

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In France, prosecution may kick in after 5 occurrences within 12 months of traveling without a ticket. It is a délit with maximum penalties of 6 months' imprisonment and €7,500 fine.
 

TheSeeker

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Travelling Essen-Brussels with an ICE ticket. Plans changed and we wanted to come home early. Managed to get to Koln on the ICE ticket and then got on a Thalys hoping to wing it. Ticket check and chucked out at Liege. IC train from there home.
 

U-Bahnfreund

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I doubt a customer would be threatened with prosecution almost anywhere outside England & Wales; the situation here is an absolute disgrace.
Travelling without a valid ticket whether with or without intent is a criminal offence in Germany. The standard is that if someone is caught three times, they're being prosecuted. It'll be stricter of course if they're not paying the €60 fine. There are people in jail because of this.
 

duesselmartin

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The €60 is an erhöhtes Entgeld, which basically amounts to a fine and therefore is NOT a criminal offence. It only becomes one if:
a) you do it regulary ( 3x or more) or obviously intentionally or
b) you fail to pay the fine within 14 days.
 

U-Bahnfreund

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That's what I said. Nonetheless, travelling without a valid ticket is always a criminal offense, transport companies just choose (or are told) to be lenient and not prosecute every single one they catch, just as you said.

The 60€ erhöhtes Beförderungsentgelt is something that's regulated separately in the conditions of carriage (Tarif-/Beförderungsbedingungen) and is something you owe the transport company through that, not something regulated by criminal law.
 

pne

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I'm not sure those are the correct comparisons. The issue in the thread was holding a ticket which was only valid on a specific company not that they had a ticket valid on a long distance train and then travelled on a local service. You could quite easily have the reverse scenario where the ticket is restricted to the local service operator only and therefore not valid on the long distance operator!

I would suggest therefore the question that should be being asked is what would happen if someone travelled, for instance, on a ticket which was only valid on Trenitalia from Paris to Lyon on an SNCF service instead.
Quite.

Or in Germany, taking an IC with a FlixTrain ticket (or vice versa) to get from Hamburg to Cologne.
 
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