Carl Gurnell, 44, from Bromborough, has spoken out after his 12-year-old daughter, Prischa, was issued a £102 fine on a Merseyrail train heading to Bebington. The incident occurred when Prischa, a year seven pupil, forgot her pre-paid rail pass, which costs £117 per term, in her blazer pocket. She had been given permission by her school not to wear her blazer due to a heatwave, but accidentally left the pass behind.
Prischa showed the ticket inspector a photograph of her rail pass on her phone, but was told this was insufficient proof. She called her father in tears after receiving the fine. Carl said, “(My daughter) phoned me up crying about this, she was really worried about it.” However, Merseyrail stated that Prischa did not appear upset when the fine was issued.
Appeal Process and Reversal
Carl initially appealed the fine, but the appeal was rejected. He then contacted a local councillor and the press, after which the fine was rescinded. Merseyrail confirmed that the cancellation is in line with national terms and conditions, which allow fines to be cancelled if passengers later provide valid proof of a pass. Carl received an apology from the enforcement officer but remains unhappy that his first appeal was not accepted.
Carl said, “Merseyrail are still saying the fine was correctly issued - this seems odd. My appeal to the enforcement team was rejected and I received a standard copy and paste reason for why this happened. Only after I went to these lengths (of going to the press and local councillor) did my ticket get overturned.”
Criticism of Merseyrail's Policy
Carl argues that Merseyrail should target deliberate fare evaders rather than children on their way to school. He said, “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 questioned the legality of fining a 12-year-old and expressed concern that other families might not pursue an appeal.
Greg Suligowski, Head of Corporate Affairs at Merseyrail, said, “While we can’t comment on individual cases, Merseyrail operates a ‘buy before you ride’ policy. 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. If a customer believes a penalty has been issued unfairly, there is an independent appeals process. Details of how to access this are provided to all customers at the time the penalty is issued.”
Broader Review Underway
Carl claims that a senior officer at the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority is reviewing the incident and the broader arguments he has raised. The authority, through Merseytravel, manages the Merseyrail network. The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority confirmed that a senior officer is in contact with Merseyrail regarding the policy.
Carl said, “The city region (combined authority) is looking at this process, so they obviously agree something isn’t right here. I feel like the income protection officers are working for their self interest - 12 year-olds are easy targets who will give up details. Is this really what the income protection team is there to do?” He added that his daughter will not be taking the train again after this experience.
