Carl Gurnell, 44, from Bromborough, has criticised Merseyrail after his 12-year-old daughter Prischa was issued a £102 fine on June 25 while travelling to school. The fine was later rescinded, but Gurnell argues the rail network should change its approach to avoid targeting children.
Forgotten Pass Leads to Tears
On a day when temperatures were expected to exceed 30°C, Prischa and her classmates had permission from their school to not wear blazers. However, Prischa inadvertently left her pre-paid rail pass, which costs £117 per term, in her blazer pocket at home. Aboard a train heading to Bebington, a revenue protection officer approached her and issued a fine for not having a valid ticket. Despite showing a photograph of her rail pass on her phone, the officer deemed it insufficient proof.
Gurnell stated that his daughter called him in tears after receiving the fine. However, Merseyrail claimed she did not appear upset at the time. Gurnell said: “She phoned me up crying about this, she was really worried about it. Of course she’s not going to break down crying in front of the inspector. I think that was absolutely disgusting.”
Appeal Initially Rejected
Gurnell’s appeal against the fine was initially rejected. He then contacted a local councillor and the press, after which the fine was overturned. This aligns with national rail terms, which allow fines to be cancelled if passengers later provide valid proof on appeal. Gurnell received an apology from the enforcement officer but remains unhappy that the fine was not cancelled immediately. He argued: “Merseyrail are still saying the fine was correctly issued – this seems odd. Only after I went to these lengths did my ticket get overturned.”
Calls for Policy Change
Gurnell is urging Merseyrail to focus on deliberate fare evaders rather than children. He questioned: “Why are ‘income protection officers’ targeting 12 year-old, year seven school kids, on their regular school commutes – particularly when they have evidenced they have a valid pass shown on their phone? Common sense must prevail here.” He also raised concerns about the legality of fining a 12-year-old, adding: “My daughter won’t be getting on the train again after this. Not everyone is going to go to these routes to appeal a fine. I don’t want other families going through this.”
Merseyrail and Combined Authority Response
A Merseyrail press officer stated that the company does not comment on individual cases but emphasised the ‘buy before you ride’ policy. Greg Suligowski, Head of Corporate Affairs at Merseyrail, said: “This means customers must have a valid ticket or pass before travelling on our services. To help prevent fraudulent travel, this must be the physical ticket or pass issued. Photographs are not accepted.” He added that an independent appeals process is available and details are provided when a penalty is issued.
The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority confirmed that a senior officer is reviewing the incident and the broader policy, although penalty fares remain a matter for Merseyrail.
