What should I do if I cannot buy a train ticket?

I went to a small station recently for a very short journey. There was nowhere to buy a ticket, so I got on the train and got off at my destination without a problem. What should I do when I want to get a train at very short notice from an unmanned station without ticket facilities of any kind? Surely it is not impossible? C.B.

Published Modified

It is not impossible. The rule when buying on board the train is that you should immediately look for a conductor and you should offer to buy a ticket as soon as possible.
If on the other hand you are asked for your ticket and do not have one – depending on how generous the conductor is feeling – you may be fined.

When buying on board, in theory you should not pay any extra if at your station the ticket offices or machines were closed or out of action or non-existent.
However, if the only reason for buying on board is that you left it too late, the controller is entitled to apply a moderate surcharge to the price.

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