Paid penalty fare...will I face any more consequences?

[mermaidlover]

Had posted this a few mins ago...but may have got deleted.

Recently got handed a penalty fare (on of those long receipt-looking things) at Bham New St station for short-faring my journey (Yes I know I'm in the wrong and I have learnt from my mistake). This would be West Midlands Railway. I was amicable with the officers at the time, I gave them my details and signed their screen as requested. They also scanned my (valid) railcard and had a look at my trainline ticket history. They never explicitly said if I was being recorded or 'interviewed under caution.' But was just handed the penalty fare slip and that was it. The reason stated on the slip was: No ticket.

I paid the penalty as soon as I got home that day. My question is, for peace of mind, whether I could receive anything in the post months down the line relating to this, if for example they investigated my account for previous instances of ticket misconduct.

Thanks in advance for your help

 

[Hadders]

Welcome to the forum!

No further action will be taken in respect of the incident where you were caught. We have seen examples of train companies auditing the online ticketing accounts of people who have been issued a Penaty Fare and contacting the person to ask questions about it if this indicates further ticketing irregularities.

Do let us know if you are contacted. It is not clear that train companies can take any legal action if the only evidence they have against you is a ticket purchasing history. Purchasing invalid tickets is not illegal, using them is and the train company would need to be able to show that you have used them. Consequently, it is highly unilkely that they could prosecute you (unless they have been following you or have compelling CCTV evidence, which is possible but unlikely). What normally happens is they write a threatening letter inviting you to contact them to arrange an out of court settlement.

 

[mermaidlover]

Thanks so much for your response!

We have seen examples of train companies auditing the online ticketing accounts of people who have been issued a Penaty Fare and contacting the person to ask questions about it if this indicates further ticketing irregularities.

Is this in the context of a Penalty Fixed Notice, where the train company is writing to express their intent to pursue legal action against the person or purely just to enquire about the circumstances around the train ticket purchase? And if the person can't reasonably account for the suspicious purchase history then the train companies have enough incriminating evidence to take them to court?

 

[Hadders]

A case has been posted today, involving Northern Trains.

Proof of past railcard purchases requested by Northern

Hi there, Earlier this year I travelled using my friends railcard and I got caught out by an inspector. I gave my details to the inspector, received a letter through the post (pleaded guilty in the letter) and paid my fine for using his railcard. I receieved confirmation from Northern that the...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[mermaidlover]

A case has been posted today, involving Northern Trains.

Proof of past railcard purchases requested by Northern

Hi there, Earlier this year I travelled using my friends railcard and I got caught out by an inspector. I gave my details to the inspector, received a letter through the post (pleaded guilty in the letter) and paid my fine for using his railcard. I receieved confirmation from Northern that the...

www.railforums.co.uk

Interesting, thanks for sending this. It seems that the OP initially received a letter in the post; I've noticed this is the case for a few unlucky souls who've been caught in similar circumstances to me. Therefore it's fair to say that these people would've definitely been investigated further by the train companies.

With the number of mere 'Penalty Fares' that must be handed out daily, I wonder if they have the time and resources to conduct such an investigation for everyone who receives a penalty fare. I guess I won't hold my breath then and only hope I don't have to deal with this again.

 

[Hadders]

Rail fare evasion is rife and train companies are getting smarter at targeting and catching people. More revenue protection staff are being employed and more of them work in 'back office' roles investigating things like ticket purchasing irregularities. I don't work in the rail industry but I am reliably informed that significant sums of money are being recovered each month.

 

[mermaidlover]

Rail fare evasion is rife and train companies are getting smarter at targeting and catching people. More revenue protection staff are being employed and more of them work in 'back office' roles investigating things like ticket purchasing irregularities. I don't work in the rail industry but I am reliably informed that significant sums of money are being recovered each month.

I think the thing that made me the most anxious about it is the fact they took down my details like my name and address, and had a look at my trainline history - I've noticed that people who end up getting letters in the post all had these things asked of them during the incident. I'm not sure if these are the standard things to ask from someone when issuing a penalty fare only. So I worry that even though I've been cleared of this specific occasion, whether that particular Revenue Officer I encountered that day may have reported me to the back offices without informing me. And it seems from that other thread you linked that they can investigate years back. But this seems like a supportive and judgement-free space to discuss these anxieties with. Thanks Hadders, you're doing a cracking job here.

 

[Hadders]

We don't condone fare evasion but what we do is tell people what is likely to happen. We also like to ake sure the train companies have followed the correct procedure.

There's nothing more that you can do at the moment, so put the matter to the back of your mind and get on with your life. Do make sure all your train tickets in future are 100% valid. If you are contacted by the train company again then come back here and we can assist with next steps.