Entertainment

Rail passenger accidentally offered £10,000 ticket, days after fare rise

A similar fare on the London Bridge to Gatwick Airport route was priced at £11.
A similar fare on the London Bridge to Gatwick Airport route was priced at £11. A similar fare on the London Bridge to Gatwick Airport route was priced at £11.

Train services have apologised after a customer was offered a £10,000 fare by a ticket machine.

Traveller Lucy Watson posted a photo of the machine at London Bridge station, which showed the inflated price for a single to Gatwick Airport via Southern Rail, next to a similar fare via Thameslink for £11.

“Might go for Thameslink then, cheers,” Lucy wrote on Twitter.

The mistake was put down to a “technical glitch”, but happened just a day after a price rise of 3.1% for rail fares across Britain was met with uproar.

A Govia Thameslink Railway spokesman told the Press Association: “This was a temporary technical glitch affecting ticket machines at Gatwick and London Bridge only and our suppliers removed the rogue fare yesterday, when it appeared.

“We apologise for any inconvenience.”

The glitch attracted derision on Twitter.

The mishap also coincides with the release of a new 26-30 age group railcard, which offers a third off fares.

“Ironically, I’m still in the online queue for the 26-30 railcard,” Lucy told MyLondon.