Train staff's bonus for scanning tickets

TRANSPORT for Wales train staff are being given bonuses linked to how many tickets they scan on services. In 2024-25, bonuses of £1m were paid to staff, up an average 60% on the previous year.

- RUTH MOSALSKI

The incentive, TfW says, not only raises revenue, but cuts down on fraud because unscanned tickets can be used to claim refunds for up to four weeks after a journey.

Staff are paid bonuses based on how many tickets they scan, and in 2024-25 staff scanned more than a million tickets each month.

The operator says there was a 19.1% rise in passenger journeys in the last year, and the amount made by tickets has gone up from £148m to £174m.

TfW says it is the industry leader in scanning tickets, and that every penny of revenue goes back into customer service.

The detail came out in its annual report, which also showed severe weather can cost the rail operator up to £500,000 a day.

It says depending on the level of disruption, the cost impact can range from £100,000 right up to half a million pounds a day.

The Core Valley Lines are run by Transport for Wales, but the Wales and Borders line remains under Network Rail control.