TERESA COURTNEY was outraged when she was fined $200 for not having a ticket after boarding a train in suburban Wollongong - where there was no ticket machine or station attendant.

So she did what few people bother to do: took on RailCorp in court - and won.

The single mother believes her case highlights the "ridiculous" ticket system, under which RailCorp tells people who cannot buy a ticket at their origin to buy one at their destination - but allows transit officers to fine them on the journey anyway.

RailCorp admits the ticket machine at the unmanned Cringila station was removed in 2005 after repeated vandalism attacks and has not been replaced.

Ms Courtney was travelling to Wollongong with her baby and a friend last year when a group of transit officers boarded the train at Coniston.