Ollie'sPolice Handbook
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Railways & BTP· Heritage Byelaws

Overview — How operator-specific byelaws work

Heritage and light rail operators typically adopt the National Rail Byelaws 2005 wording but may add operator-specific provisions (e.g. heritage rolling stock conduct, fare evasion on tram networks). Always check the operator's published byelaws for the exact wording before reporting an offence.

legislation.gov.uk Open Act page

Penalty reference

Mode of trial
Summary
Maximum penalty
Level 3 fine (£1,000) on summary conviction.
FPN / PND
Operator-issued penalty fare (£100 reduced to £50 if paid in 21 days, typically) — or report for summons.
Out-of-court eligibility
✓ CR
✓ Caution
✕ Cond. Caution

Note: Most byelaw breaches handled by penalty fare or operator's revenue protection — police use BTP/local force discretion.

Triage the circumstances

Quick answers — the engine applies the College/CPS hard rules.

Need a refresher on the terms? See the Glossary.