As many as 74,000 prosecutions for rail fare evasion in England and Wales are set to be quashed following a landmark ruling.

UK rail companies had been fast-tracking alleged fare evasion offences using a process called the single justice procedure (SJP), which allows magistrates’ hearings to be held behind closed doors.

But on Thursday, the UK’s chief magistrate, Judge Goldspring, declared six test cases as void, which effectively means they should never have happened.

The exact number of similar cases that will need to be quashed is still unclear.

Authorities including the Department for Transport as well as train companies will now have to agree a list of all people whose convictions could be overturned by the end of September.

Judge Goldspring said he thought four train companies were involved in the process, but was not able to identify them.

However, in a hearing last month both Northern Trains, the government-owned operator, and Greater Anglia apologised for using SJPs.