Short ticketing

[Applecrumbles8]

Hello,

As the title says I’ve been short ticketing since May, once a week.

A couple of weeks ago a ticket collector asked for my ticket, I tapped in on his device and later that day got charged around £9.

Stupidly I kept doing the same and eventually at my local station I was asked to hand the ticket, the operator got suspicious and asked me for a word after he dealing with something else.
I panicked and left via other gate tapping out.

Obviously he has my physical ticket which I bought this morning (one side of the journey). The other end of the journey I buy on Trainline and either use qr code or collect at the station.

I’m not sure whether the physical ticket can be linked to Trainline app as I do have that card as one of the payment methods in the app.

Cost of anytime day single is £30.
I suspect it’s roughly 1000 plus fees to settle but would they want to settle after I literally run away? Doesn’t play well at all in my defence

What should i do? I assume it’s wrong, i regret it and reasons for doing so doesn’t really matter.

Thank you

 

[TheJester]

Hello. Which from and to stations have you been starting and ending your journey at?
And which tickets have you been buying?

 

[transportphoto]

The physical ticket - if purchased online and collected at a ticket machine - can be linked back to you.

For now, you don’t know what’s next. You walked away. I’d suggest this is a game of wait and see… and potentially a lesson learnt to start paying the correct fare herein?

 

[Fawkes Cat]

This is, I hope, obvious - but stop fare dodging at once. You have made yourself quite conspicuous, so the staff will be looking out for you. This may mean that they will pull you across for a discussion even if you have the right ticket - but they certainly will pick you up if you have a wrong one.

 

[Applecrumbles8]

The physical ticket - if purchased online and collected at a ticket machine - can be linked back to you.

For now, you don’t know what’s next. You walked away. I’d suggest this is a game of wait and see… and potentially a lesson learnt to start paying the correct fare herein?

The physical ticket was purchased at the ticket machines, not online. I paid using a card that I have in my Trainline account though.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Aug 2023 ==

Hello. Which from and to stations have you been starting and ending your journey at?
And which tickets have you been buyi

Don’t want to sound rude but it’s possible not to disclose the stations just for the fact this is public and don’t know who’s reading.
I was buying the shortest journey ticket from the outward station physically. And online the shortest journey for the ending station, does that make sense?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Aug 2023 ==

This is, I hope, obvious - but stop fare dodging at once. You have made yourself quite conspicuous, so the staff will be looking out for you. This may mean that they will pull you across for a discussion even if you have the right ticket - but they certainly will pick you up if you have a wrong one.

Definitely a lesson learnt and long overdue

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Aug 2023 ==

Hello. Which from and to stations have you been starting and ending your journey at?
And which tickets have you been buying?

Tickets were return tickets on both sides

 

[6Gman]

The physical ticket was purchased at the ticket machines, not online. I paid using a card that I have in my Trainline account though.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Aug 2023 ==


Don’t want to sound rude but it’s possible not to disclose the stations just for the fact this is public and don’t know who’s reading.
I was buying the shortest journey ticket from the outward station physically. And online the shortest journey for the ending station, does that make sense?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Aug 2023 ==


Definitely a lesson learnt and long overdue

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Aug 2023 ==


Tickets were return tickets on both sides

You would be wise not to give details on this forum that could lead to you being identified by the company concerned.

Am I correct in assuming you were travelling from A to D, via B and C? That you were buying a physical ticket from A to B (the first station en route) and then an online ticket from C to D (with C being the nearest station to D)? And therefore you had no ticket between B and C?

You were called over for questioning and you chose to leave?

Now, the problem you have is that you don't know what the railway company might know. They may have CCTV or body camera footage and they may be able to access some of your data that they hold.

It appears to me that you have two options at this stage - to contact them and confess (which might buy you some credit for a settlement) or to wait and see what happens next. Which might be nothing or it might be prosecution.

 

[Applecrumbles8]

You would be wise not to give details on this forum that could lead to you being identified by the company concerned.

Am I correct in assuming you were travelling from A to D, via B and C? That you were buying a physical ticket from A to B (the first station en route) and then an online ticket from C to D (with C being the nearest station to D)? And therefore you had no ticket between B and C?

You were called over for questioning and you chose to leave?

Now, the problem you have is that you don't know what the railway company might know. They may have CCTV or body camera footage and they may be able to access some of your data that they hold.

It appears to me that you have two options at this stage - to contact them and confess (which might buy you some credit for a settlement) or to wait and see what happens next. Which might be nothing or it might be prosecution.

You are right in the ticket assumptions.

He took my ticket and asked me to step aside of the line. He then was away for a while and I walked out, tapping out. He didn’t had body cam.

I know it was incorrect

 

[RPI]

This will be quite easy to trace, depends on which TOC it was as to whether they will go to the effort or not, it may also depend on any aggravating factors such as whether there was any verbal abuse etc.

 

[Cantab26]

Buy the correct tickets for your journey.

Do not contact the company proactively.

If the company contacts you then you can post back here and the forum will be able to provide more concrete advice at that point.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Aug 2023 ==

He took my ticket and asked me to step aside of the line. He then was away for a while and I walked out, tapping out. He didn’t had body cam.

I know it was incorrect

Unless you were asked for your name and address, refused to provide them and were then formally detained (in order to bring you before a magistrate) then there was no obligation on you to remain or to answer any questions.

Similarly, if you are stopped by a TOC official in the future then there is no obligation to submit to questioning provided that you give your name and address (and date of birth if a penalty fare is being issued) on request.

 

[island]

I would agree with the others – do not contact the train company, wait for them to contact you.

It is absolutely essential that you buy the correct and full ticket for your journey going forward.

 

[Applecrumbles8]

Thank you for your support, will keep you informed

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 Aug 2023 ==

This will be quite easy to trace, depends on which TOC it was as to whether they will go to the effort or not, it may also depend on any aggravating factors such as whether there was any verbal abuse etc.

luckily no aggravating factors as such, I only said the station I was supposedly travelling from.

 

[scrapy]

Whilst they would be unlikely to be able to identify you from the physical ticket they have (there are ways but they would probably have to get a court order to get the information), they should be able to identify your account using CCTV and the data from the ticket you tapped out with (note that deleting your account or altering info on your Trainline account will not change this). Most gatelines have multiple cameras above them.

Id take the advice in the above posts and not contact the rail company unless they contact you. Whilst it may be a worry waiting it's still possible that they haven't gone down the above route and may just be waiting for you to turn up again.

Be aware that you may be stopped in the future if recognised if they suspect you of an offence (which clearly they do) you are required to give your name and address if asked. Even if you have a valid ticket on a future occasion they can ask you for these details if they suspect you of a past offence and you are required to give them (there is no time limit for this). There are time limits of six months for them to prosecute you under the railway bylaws or RORA but not if they prosecute for fraud. Obviously having a valid ticket in future would make you far less likely to be recognised.

 

[Applecrumbles8]

Whilst they would be unlikely to be able to identify you from the physical ticket they have (there are ways but they would probably have to get a court order to get the information), they should be able to identify your account using CCTV and the data from the ticket you tapped out with (note that deleting your account or altering info on your Trainline account will not change this). Most gatelines have multiple cameras above them.

Id take the advice in the above posts and not contact the rail company unless they contact you. Whilst it may be a worry waiting it's still possible that they haven't gone down the above route and may just be waiting for you to turn up again.

Be aware that you may be stopped in the future if recognised if they suspect you of an offence (which clearly they do) you are required to give your name and address if asked. Even if you have a valid ticket on a future occasion they can ask you for these details if they suspect you of a past offence and you are required to give them (there is no time limit for this). There are time limits of six months for them to prosecute you under the railway bylaws or RORA but not if they prosecute for fraud. Obviously having a valid ticket in future would make you far less likely to be recognised.

Thank you so much.
I’ve tapped out with contactless card, there’s no real link to Trainline account , I think.

Definitely will have valid ticket going forwards

 

[Hadders]

It sounds like you have been doughnutting. Purchasing a short distance paper ticket at the start of your journey and using the ticket purchased via Trainline to exit at the other end, leaving a gaping gap in the middle that you haven’t paid for.

I agree with @tspaul26 There is nothing to be gained by contacting the company, you are not required to incriminate yourself.

Do make sure you purchase the correct ticket to travel in future.