Couple fined for getting off train early
By Paul Johnston A couple have had to pay a £114 fine after getting off a train two stops early. Emma Clark and Davyd Winter-Bates were travelling to Southampton from London with South West Trains when they decided to get off two stops early at Eastleigh. When they handed over their tickets at the station, they were told they were each being fined £57 because they had not stayed on the train until their destination. The fine was twice the standard fare of £28.50. Miss Clark told The Sun: “It is utter madness. I could understand being fined if I had stayed on the train two stops beyond my destination.” A spokesperson for Stagecoach, which owns South West Trains, said the couple had been fined because they were using discounted tickets, costing £6, which do not allow passengers to break their journeys. In a statement, they said: “Leaving a train early is not allowed on heavily discounted tickets. The fine is double the standard single fare.” -- With best wishes S Chander
