Intent to Prosecute Letter from GTR

[nt201096]

Hi Everyone,

I have seen a lot of useful information here and already sent a reply to the ‘Intent to Prosecute Letter’ from GTR using what I read on here and help of my lawyer friend. My question is, as this is my first time offence and I looked at my ticket history purchases and they are all valid aside from the one i got caught in (I bought ticket with a rail card but didn’t realise my rail card expired a few months earlier). So, what is the likelihood of me actually getting prosecuted and not reaching an out of court settlement? and how long will it take for GTR to respond to my letter from my side? I couldn’t find a phone number to call them, even though i know my letter had been delivered (used recorded delivery). Thanks in advance for your help!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Dec 2023 ==

The full fare was £6.20 and my discounted ticket was £4.05. I don’t think GTR will prosecute me for this amount as it is not worth their time and costs. So hope that an out of court settlement would be reached instead.

 

[30907]

The full fare was £6.20 and my discounted ticket was £4.05. I don’t think GTR will prosecute me for this amount as it is not worth their time and costs. So hope that an out of court settlement would be reached instead.

If GTR take you to court, they will be entitled to claim costs, plus the fare, and you will pay a fine plus surcharges of several hundred pounds.
Yes, on the basis of your description, GTR may well offer to settle, because they may think your reply shows that you have learnt from the experience.
From reports on here, they are reasonably prompt once the process has started, but they are under no obligation - and they deal with rather a lot of incidents

 

[nt201096]

If GTR take you to court, they will be entitled to claim costs, plus the fare, and you will pay a fine plus surcharges of several hundred pounds.
Yes, on the basis of your description, GTR may well offer to settle, because they may think your reply shows that you have learnt from the experience.
From reports on here, they are reasonably prompt once the process has started, but they are under no obligation - and they deal with rather a lot of incidents

Thank you! Hopefully they will settle out of court as this is my only offence as they can check my purchase history ! I saw that they are better than TFL who often proceed with prosecution. I did show the inspector my rail card, and she noted it on her statement so maybe that will help. I am more worried about receiving a criminal record than the money, otherwise might need to ask a solicitor (have all my purchase history printed out) to get involved if I receive a court summons, but hopefully it does not go that far! Do you reckon GTR would rather go down the out of court settlement than the prosecution? my lawyer friend said it would not be worth their time and it is often used as a last resort for repeat offenders/ those who ignore the letters…

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I don’t think GTR will prosecute me for this amount as it is not worth their time and costs.

They undoubtedly will if you ignore them, or don't properly engage with them.

But, if you've made appropriate contact with GTR, there's every chance you will be offered a so-called "out of court settlement", although this isn't, of course, guaranteed and you don't get the final say in deciding whether one is offered, or the actual settlement amount requested.

 

[nt201096]

They undoubtedly will if you ignore them, or don't properly engage with them.

But, if you've made appropriate contact with GTR, there's every chance you will be offered a so-called "out of court settlement", although this isn't, of course, guaranteed and you don't get the final say in deciding whether one is offered, or the actual settlement amount requested.

Yes, I just need to be hopeful and cooperative. If not, hope that a solicitor can get me out of the mess

 

[Hadders]

GTR normally offer an out of court settlement for minor ticketing matters like this where the person co-operates with the investigation and they haven't come to their attention before.

The key thing is co-operating, we have seen train companies prosecute over 10p before!

 

[nt201096]

GTR normally offer an out of court settlement for minor ticketing matters like this where the person co-operates with the investigation and they haven't come to their attention before.

The key thing is co-operating, we have seen train companies prosecute over 10p before!

Thank you Hadders! Have been cooperating with GTR via email, so hopefully they can see I am willing to help them with their investigation

 

[Jackdav112]

Thank you Hadders! Have been cooperating with GTR via email, so hopefully they can see I am willing to help them with their investigation

Have they gotten back to you yet ?

 

[nt201096]

Have they gotten back to you yet ?

Nope, aside from “we are a very busy department and can take a while to go through all the correspondence” and this was 1 month 1 weeks ago…

 

[Jackdav112]

Nope, aside from “we are a very busy department and can take a while to go through all the correspondence” and this was 1 month 1 weeks ago…

Ah I see hopefully they will get back to you soon !!

 

[nt201096]

@Jackdav112 - they got back, ended up paying a £62 out of court settlement after corresponding (no solicitors needed) and thank you to everyone for your advice on the forum, much appreciated and gave me reassurance

 

[30907]

@Jackdav112 - they got back, ended up paying a £62 out of court settlement after corresponding (no solicitors needed) and thank you to everyone for your advice on the forum, much appreciated and gave me reassurance

Thanks for the feedback - I've noticed before that GTR will often charge relatively moderate amounts of costs for straightforward cases.

 

[Hadders]

Thanks for letting us know. That's a good result int he circumstances.

 

[wafa]

@Jackdav112 - they got back, ended up paying a £62 out of court settlement after corresponding (no solicitors needed) and thank you to everyone for your advice on the forum, much appreciated and gave me reassurance

Hi sorry to disturb you and i’m glad your matter got resolved, but may I ask some questions as I’m in a similar situation. Did they allow you to correspond via email? because I can’t find their email address, and how long did they take to respond to your correspondence?

 

[Gloster]

Hi sorry to disturb you and i’m glad your matter got resolved, but may I ask some questions as I’m in a similar situation. Did they allow you to correspond via email? because I can’t find their email address, and how long did they take to respond to your correspondence?

Please start your own thread. No two cases are exactly the same and good advice for one can be bad for another, and it causes confusion to all concerned.

 

[FuzzyDuck]

Please start your own thread. No two cases are exactly the same and good advice for one can be bad for another, and it causes confusion to all concerned.

They already have a thread:

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/intent-to-prosecute-short-faring.256541/page-2#post-6595785

 

[nt201096]

Hi sorry to disturb you and i’m glad your matter got resolved, but may I ask some questions as I’m in a similar situation. Did they allow you to correspond via email? because I can’t find their email address, and how long did they take to respond to your correspondence?

Hey, i only emailed to see if they got my correspondence, they won’t let you correspond via email, they will delete it but its gtr.prosecutions@gtrailway.com

from the date of the incident, it took them 2 months to send them an “intent to prosecute letter” and took them another 2 months for them to reach a decision, despite sending my correspondence via mail within 48 hours of initial letter and through recorded delivery

 

[Mbwatson]

Hi, I came across your case and it is extremely similar to mine. This morning I forgot to tap in at Crofton Park and I was travelling to Farringdon. I bought a ticket on Trainline whilst I was on the train. I couldn’t buy one from Crofton Park so bought one from a different station. The cost was 40p difference. I wasn’t trying to dodge fares but when I got to Farringdon and scanned my barcode I was stopped. I was asked where I’d came from and told the truth. The fare difference was literally 40p difference and I offered to pay the difference or buy a new ticket but the officer said no. I was given a prosecution witness receipt and told I will receive a letter and be asked to give my side of the story. I went back to the station today and asked to pay the £50 fine but they said it was too late. I’m extremely distressed as to what will happen next and the idea of prosecution. How long will this take and what is my likely outcome? Thank you for any help or advice

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Feb 2024 ==

Hey, i only emailed to see if they got my correspondence, they won’t let you correspond via email, they will delete it but its gtr.prosecutions@gtrailway.com

from the date of the incident, it took them 2 months to send them an “intent to prosecute letter” and took them another 2 months for them to reach a decision, despite sending my correspondence via mail within 48 hours of initial letter and through recorded delivery

Hi Everyone,

I have seen a lot of useful information here and already sent a reply to the ‘Intent to Prosecute Letter’ from GTR using what I read on here and help of my lawyer friend. My question is, as this is my first time offence and I looked at my ticket history purchases and they are all valid aside from the one i got caught in (I bought ticket with a rail card but didn’t realise my rail card expired a few months earlier). So, what is the likelihood of me actually getting prosecuted and not reaching an out of court settlement? and how long will it take for GTR to respond to my letter from my side? I couldn’t find a phone number to call them, even though i know my letter had been delivered (used recorded delivery). Thanks in advance for your help!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Dec 2023 ==

The full fare was £6.20 and my discounted ticket was £4.05. I don’t think GTR will prosecute me for this amount as it is not worth their time and costs. So hope that an out of court settlement would be reached instead.

Hi, I came across your case and it is extremely similar to mine. This morning I forgot to tap in at Crofton Park and I was travelling to Farringdon. I bought a ticket on Trainline whilst I was on the train. I couldn’t buy one from Crofton Park so bought one from a different station. The cost was 40p difference. I wasn’t trying to dodge fares but when I got to Farringdon and scanned my barcode I was stopped. I was asked where I’d came from and told the truth. The fare difference was literally 40p difference and I offered to pay the difference or buy a new ticket but the officer said no. I was given a prosecution witness receipt and told I will receive a letter and be asked to give my side of the story. I went back to the station today and asked to pay the £50 fine but they said it was too late. I’m extremely distressed as to what will happen next and the idea of prosecution. How long will this take and what is my likely outcome? Thank you for any help or advice

 

[Gloster]

Hi, I came across your case and it is extremely similar to mine. This morning I forgot to tap in at Crofton Park and I was travelling to Farringdon. I bought a ticket on Trainline whilst I was on the train. I couldn’t buy one from Crofton Park so bought one from a different station. The cost was 40p difference. I wasn’t trying to dodge fares but when I got to Farringdon and scanned my barcode I was stopped. I was asked where I’d came from and told the truth. The fare difference was literally 40p difference and I offered to pay the difference or buy a new ticket but the officer said no. I was given a prosecution witness receipt and told I will receive a letter and be asked to give my side of the story. I went back to the station today and asked to pay the £50 fine but they said it was too late. I’m extremely distressed as to what will happen next and the idea of prosecution. How long will this take and what is my likely outcome? Thank you for any help or advice

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 8 Feb 2024 ==




Hi, I came across your case and it is extremely similar to mine. This morning I forgot to tap in at Crofton Park and I was travelling to Farringdon. I bought a ticket on Trainline whilst I was on the train. I couldn’t buy one from Crofton Park so bought one from a different station. The cost was 40p difference. I wasn’t trying to dodge fares but when I got to Farringdon and scanned my barcode I was stopped. I was asked where I’d came from and told the truth. The fare difference was literally 40p difference and I offered to pay the difference or buy a new ticket but the officer said no. I was given a prosecution witness receipt and told I will receive a letter and be asked to give my side of the story. I went back to the station today and asked to pay the £50 fine but they said it was too late. I’m extremely distressed as to what will happen next and the idea of prosecution. How long will this take and what is my likely outcome? Thank you for any help or advice

Please start your own thread. No two cases are exactly the same and good advice for one could be bad for another. It also causes confusion.

 

[30907]

Hi, I came across your case and it is extremely similar to mine. This morning I forgot to tap in at Crofton Park and I was travelling to Farringdon. I bought a ticket on Trainline whilst I was on the train. I couldn’t buy one from Crofton Park so bought one from a different station. The cost was 40p difference. I wasn’t trying to dodge fares but when I got to Farringdon and scanned my barcode I was stopped. I was asked where I’d came from and told the truth. The fare difference was literally 40p difference and I offered to pay the difference or buy a new ticket but the officer said no. I was given a prosecution witness receipt and told I will receive a letter and be asked to give my side of the story. I went back to the station today and asked to pay the £50 fine but they said it was too late. I’m extremely distressed as to what will happen next and the idea of prosecution. How long will this take and what is my likely outcome? Thank you for any help or advice

As always, please start a new thread, as no two cases are identical (yours certainly isn't) and it leads to confusion.
You will get a letter from GTR in a few weeks, and if you engage with the process you should be able to avoid being taken to court.
However, they may take the opportunity to look at your ticket purchase history, and this may affect the amount you have to pay in settlement.
Please come back to us when the letter arrives.