DOZENS of Furness rail passengers prosecuted for evading train fares could see their convictions overturned.

A number of passengers have been prosecuted by Northern Rail after failing to pay for train tickets or pay off subsequent penalty fares.

But tens of thousands of passengers who were prosecuted and fined for fare evasion are set to be refunded after a judge ruled that their convictions were void.

In a ruling at Westminster Magistrates Court, Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring said six 'test cases' should be declared 'void', adding that the cases of thousands of other cases would be dealt with in the same way over the coming months.

Neither the amount of money to be refunded nor the number of people affected has been confirmed, but Judge Goldspring said 'over 74,000' people is a 'best guess at the moment'.

Seven train companies including Northern Rail and Greater Anglia could face paying out millions of pounds to people who they privately prosecuted for travelling without a ticket under the controversial single justice procedure (SJP), despite not being permitted to do so.

Several passengers have been prosecuted after failing to pay for train tickets while travelling on the Furness Line.

In some cases, people have been left with court bills totalling times more than the cost of the fare after having their cases brought to Preston Magistrates' Court.

Northern has apologised for the errors.

In a previous court hearing, Brian O’Neill KC, representing  Northern Rail, told Westminster magistrates court the company 'wishes to apologise to the court and all interested parties for having fallen into error in the exercise of its prosecutorial powers'.

He said: “We are all in agreement that the proceedings were a nullity.”

The SJP was set up in 2015 to allow magistrates to decide on minor offences, such as using a television without a licence or driving without car insurance, without defendants going to court.

Rail companies were permitted to use the SJP in 2016 to privately prosecute fare evaders, but many have been brought under the Regulation of Railways Act 1889, which is not allowed under the procedure.

In June, Judge Goldspring said those convictions were 'probably unlawful', with lawyers for rail companies telling a further hearing last month they were 'in agreement' the prosecutions should be thrown out.