Monday briefing: Welsh penalty fare could rise to £100

New ticketless travel rules in WalesTicketless rail passengers in south Wales face a penalty fare for the first time today, as Transport for Wales extends its penalty fare zone to include South Wales Metro routes and the Welsh Marches line to Shrewsbury and Manchester. The penalty is GBP20, but TfW has warned that it may increase its penalty fare to GBP100, which would bring it in line with England. Penalty fares do not apply to passengers boarding at stations which have no ticket office or machines, but they must pay on the train as soon as possible.

Motorway reopens after railway bridge workThe M62 has reopened at Castleton, near Rochdale, after two weekends of work by Network Rail engineers to replace a bridge over the motorway. Network Rail is investing more than GBP22 million to rebuild the 42 metre, 2000 tonne structure, and the M62 has been closed over two weekends to allow the work to go ahead. A total of 120 people worked around the clock to demolish the existing bridge, on the line between Manchester Victoria and Rochdale, using 11 excavators to pull the old bridge apart while the road below was closed.Manchester platforms closedTwo platforms at Manchester Piccadilly will be closed until 29 September, because engineers are installing new netting under the trainshed roof.

The work, which began in June, is being carried out in phases to reduce the disruption, and will continue until next month.

The latest platforms to be closed are 5 and 6, and trains are being diverted to other platforms.