A TRAIN operator has admitted setting targets for ticket inspectors to issue revenue boosting fines.

Rail operator Greater Anglia has been blasted by Colchester MP Will Quince who accused the firm of “playing with words” to justify its actions.

Greater Anglia allegedly demands staff issue three fines a day and prosecute a passenger every two days.

Mr Quince, who is a member of the Commons Transport Committee, said: “We were alerted Greater Anglia were potentially doing it and they came back and said it was not a ‘target’ but an ‘expectation’.

“I was shocked about how train companies are playing with words, especially when people are paying on our line, thousands of pounds a year to get to and from work, as there should be an element of discretion.”

Mr Quince said for example, there were occasions when passengers quite innocently bought the wrong ticket online, or card machines at stations were not working so they needed to buy tickets once on the train.

The Tory MP has now written to Transport Secretary Chris Grayling asking to meet him over his concerns, telling him “we have now heard reports that some staff are facing disciplinary actions owing to a failure to issue enough penalty fares.”

Anti-austerity campaigner Dave Murray uses the service to get to London, and as part of longer haul journeys.

He said: “This is the kind of thing you suspect, but to have it confirmed is shocking. It’s merciless behaviour, especially seeing as it’s easy to get on the wrong train, or buy the wrong ticket. The company should be ashamed of itself.”

The revelation follows protests at 100 railway stations including in Basildon this week, over a 2.3 per cent hike in fares, the biggest since 2014. However, commuters going back to work faced delays and cancellations as engineering work overran again.

A Greater Anglia spokesperson said: “Revenue lost through fare evasion risks reducing the amount of money available for investment in additional service improvements or necessitating an increase in fares to replace the lost income.  

"We do set targets for reducing the percentage of fare dodgers and we do manage and monitor the performance of ticket inspectors. However, we aim to strike a sensible balance.”