Train passengers are being punished for accidental ‘minor transgressions’ when buying tickets, the rail watchdog has said.

With millions of people in the UK travelling by train every day, mistakes are bound to happen – whether that’s selecting the wrong railcard or catching the wrong train.

And the country’s rail ticketing system, with various train operators and websites, can be confusing – and draconian.

Now, the transport watchdog, the Office of Rail and Road, has said that train operators took disproportionately harsh measures against passengers who had made ‘genuine errors.’

The rules are so harsh that a passenger was threatened with prosecution for mistakenly selecting a 16-25 railcard discount when they had a 26-30 railcard.

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