Fraudsters without a train ticket will be fined £100 - five times the current £20

The Department for Transport (DfT) said the move would help tackle a £240million bill taxpayers face every year - claiming that the current £20 fine does not act as a deterrent

People without a valid ticket will have to pay £100 from next year (

Image: PA)

Fraudsters caught without a valid train ticket will face a £100 fine from next year - a fivefold increase - transport chiefs announced today.

In January, the government will raise National Rail's penalty fares for the first time since 2005.

At the moment the fine is £20, or double the fare to the next station, whichever is greater.

The government estimates fare evasion costs taxpayers £240m a year - and says the increase is needed to make the railways 'sustainable'.

It indicates that the current level of fines no longer has a deterrent effect.

The change will apply to all of England and Wales from January 23.

The new fee will come into effect on January 23, the government announced (

Picture:

Getty Images)

The fines will drop to £50 plus the cost of a ticket for the journey if paid within 21 days, the Department for Transport (DfT) said.

A DfT spokesperson said: 'It is estimated that fare evasion costs taxpayers around £240m a year.

"We need penalty fares to act as an appropriate deterrent, and we are putting in place a modern system that will help create a more sustainable railway."

At the moment, those caught on Transport for London (TfL) services are fined £80, while those on Manchester Metrolink must pay £100.

The DfT said: 'The aim of the change is to modernize the system, creating a more sustainable railway by reducing ticketless travel.

"This will ultimately reduce the cost to the taxpayer, who is currently footing the bill for passengers traveling without a ticket."

A consultation paper published this summer stated: "The value of £20 has not increased since 2005. In real terms this means that this penalty has risen from £20 to around £14 (at 2005 prices) .

"In light of this reduction in real terms, the department believes that penalty tariffs no longer serve their deterrent function.

"We want to update the value of the Penalty Tariff to ensure the system remains an effective deterrent and the primary method by which the majority...