“Don’t gamble on it” says Northern in ticket warning to people heading to the Grand National at Aintree

The train operator says ‘chancers’ will be met by teams of revenue protection officers deployed at key stations across the region.

Anyone caught without a valid ticket or ‘promise to pay’ notice may be issued with a £100 penalty fare, which is reduced to £50 if paid within 21 days.

Mark Powles, commercial and customer director at Northern, said: “We know from experience that all major events encourage some people to think they’ll get away with not buying a ticket for their journey.

“By publicising this clampdown in advance, we hope less people will ‘chance it’ and end up £100 down before they even get to the racecourse.”

Services in and around Liverpool are expected to be busy over the three-day event and people are encouraged to allow extra time for their journey.

For assistance, please speak to a member of station staff or contact Passenger Assist on 0800 138 5560.

In January, Northern announced a 20% drop in the number of penalty fares issued in the first year since the government increased the fine to £100.

Money raised through penalty fares issued by Northern is, in-line with other revenue income streams, re-invested in the rail industry to improve the service offered to all customers.

Northern has invested in the largest network of digital ticket infrastructure of any train operator in the country, making it easier than ever to buy a ticket via their app, website, one of more than 600 ticket machines across the network and ticket offices too.

Fare evaders are prosecuted under the provisions of the Regulation of Railways Act 1889 and the Railway Byelaws made pursuant to the Transport Act 2000. In cases of ticket fraud, perpetrators are prosecuted under the Fraud Act 2006.

Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.