A train operator is set to introduce penalty fares on Teesside.

Fare-dodgers travelling on the Middlesbrough to Whitby route could soon be fined £20 or double the cost of a single fare - whichever is greater.

The route will go live - alongside others - on December 6.

The move by Northern is designed to discourage people from travelling on trains without paying for their tickets first.

The penalties, which are already live on other routes, will be enforced at stations by the company's authorised collectors.

Most stations on penalty fare routes will either have a ticket office or machine, meaning you will have the opportunity to buy tickets before travelling.

There's also the option to buy using the Northern App before boarding the train, with no booking fees incurred.

You are able to buy a ticket from the on-board conductor if the facilities are not available at stations, or if offices are closed or machines out of order.

A Northern Rail train
A Northern Rail train

Where you want to pay cash, but ticket machines are card only, a so-called 'Promise to Pay' notice can be obtained from a machine.

These notices can be shown along with cash to the conductor.

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If you board from stations which have ticket machines or staffed ticket offices but do not have a valid ticket, you'll only be eligible for standard fares if buying from the conductor.

If you choose to do this then you may be issued with a penalty fare - if an authorised collector is encountered.

However Northern says there will still be "some circumstances" where you can't buy tickets and that authorised collectors "are able to use their discretion to ensure no-one faces unfair penalties".
