London Northwestern Railway estimates it overcharged 2,700 people by £12,000 - £4.44 per person.
Great Western Railway says the average refund is £6 and that it has posted cheques to those affected. Penalties are handed out if passengers are caught without a ticket; people travelling on a cheaper fare and unable to produce the relevant railcard; travelling in first class with a standard ticket; or staying on past the station named on the ticket.The mistake happened because industry body the Rail Delivery Group failed to properly set out the updated rules, which meant they were ignored by some operators.
David Sidebottom, director of watchdog Transport Focus, said:"Passengers will want urgent answers as to why this error occurred and assurances from the rail industry that it is being investigated and fixed immediately. "Train companies need to do everything possible to demonstrate that they have a clear plan to get things back on track, provide train staff with the correct advice to avoid this happening again and make sure passengers aren't out of pocket."
Perhaps you could correct that, as it is unknown how many were 'dodging'. Penalty Fare Regulation 5(1) allows a charge where someone does not have a valid ticket, innocent mistakes included.
In the UK, crime pays.