Can I board a train without a ticket?

02 May 2018

The National Rail Conditions of Travel state that you must always have a valid ticket before boarding a train, unless:

a) You could not buy a ticket because there was no means to do so at the station (e.g. no ticket office open or no working ticket machine). This also applies if the Permit to Travel machine was out of order.

b) An authorised person (e.g. train company staff member) or notice from the train company gave you permission to travel without a valid ticket. We recommend that you make a note of the name of the member of staff who advises you that you can board without a ticket.

c) You have a disability and ticket purchasing arrangements at the station you are departing from are not suitably accessible.

In these cases, you must, as soon as you are reasonably able, buy an appropriate ticket to complete your journey. This includes buying a ticket from the conductor on the train if there is one available; at an interchange station provided there is sufficient time before your connecting service; or, if neither of these is possible, at your destination.