Grand National racegoers warned not to travel without tickets

The iconic horserace returns this weekend, with thousands expected to flock to Aintree.

Ahead of the occasion, Northern Rail has warned rail passengers not to gamble on travelling without a ticket.

Teams of revenue protection officers will be deployed at key stations across the region and anyone caught without a valid ticket or ‘promise to pay notice’ may be issued with a £100 penalty fare, reduced to £50 if paid within 21 days.

Mark Powles, commercial and customer director at Northern, said: “We know from experience that all major events encourage some people to think they’ll get away with not buying a ticket for their journey.

“By publicising this clampdown in advance, we hope less people will ‘chance it’ and end up £100 down before they even get to the racecourse.”

Stations in and around Liverpool are expected to be busy over the course of the Grand National festival (Image: Northern)

Services in and around Liverpool are expected to be busy over the three-day festival (April 11 to 13) and people are encouraged to allow extra time for their journey.

Money raised through penalty fares issued by Northern is, in line with other revenue income streams, re-invested in the rail industry to improve the service offered to all customers.