Train firms urged to give ‘yellow cards’ to passengers without tickets

His case prompted widespread criticism of train operator Northern, who later withdrew all live prosecutions against passengers reported for using railcard discounts for on-peak services where the original fare was below £12.

Some rail companies, such as Cross Country and Southeastern, already have yellow card systems in place, with Merseyside Rail looking to introduce one this year.

Transport Focus has also suggested a digital record of railcards so inspectors are able to check when passengers have forgotten or lost cards.

“Passengers could be issued reminders to alert them when their railcards are close to expiry,” it added.

Natasha Grice, director for rail at Transport Focus, said the watchdog had long been concerned about the complexity of rail fares, making it hard for some passengers to buy the correct ticket.

“We understand and support the principle that all users of rail should be paying for their ticket, but we want to make sure that passengers who make an innocent mistake aren’t punished unfairly,” Ms Grice said.

Fare evasion is estimated to cost the industry £240m a year.