TransPennine Express reveals oddest no-ticket excuses

TransPennine Express, which runs services between York and Manchester, said the customer was caught using a child ticket for the second time and replied: “It wasn’t me, it was my twin brother.”

Another TransPennine Express customer ate their ticket in front of a member of the team so it could not be used as evidence – “much to the shock of onboard staff”, the rail firm said.

A company spokesperson said other explanations included people claiming: “I’ve got no battery on my phone”, “I was running late and didn’t have time to buy a ticket”, “I haven’t got any money” and even “do I need to buy a ticket?”

They said the excuses “can raise a smile” but urged customers that they “should buy a ticket before boarding where facilities are available”.

It comes after TransPennine Express said more than 20 million ticket checks were carried out on its services and at automatic ticket gates between April 2025 and April 2026.

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Of those checked, around 75,000 customers were found travelling without a valid ticket, with approximately 6,000 penalty fares issued.

The rail firm said ticketless travel continues to be an issue, with around 2.5 per cent of journeys made without a valid ticket in both 2024 and 2025.

Ian Humphreys, head of retail strategy at TransPennine Express, urged customers to “buy before you board”.

“We appreciate that the vast majority of our customers do the right thing and buy the correct ticket for their journey,” he said.

“But for those who don’t, our message is simple – buy before you board.

“Our revenue protection teams carry out checks across our trains and stations every day, and while they might hear some memorable excuses along the way, it’s important that everyone has a valid ticket for their journey.”