Regarding Travel Irregularities Slip

[lookingforsome]

Hello,

Today I just got a travel irregularities slip as I skipped 2 stations and bought a ticket to my destination.

However, I was given “West Midlands Trains Revenue Protection Department Authority to Travel following travel irregularity” By the inspector.

He also asked me how often I take the journey and how I book my tickets.

I lied about how often I take the journey but gave him all the other information correctly.

He said his team will contact me.

What can I expect?

Thanks

 

[John R]

I'll assume from your first sentence that you have been short ticketing. Correct? But can you please give us more information as to where you boarded, where you were going, and what ticket you purchased and when you purchased it. Also, when in the journey did you have the interaction with the inspector. Please also post a copy of the authority to travel.

If you bought your ticket online then you can expect the investigators to review your account for evidence of any other instances where they suspect you of attempting not to pay the correct fare for your journey. Short fare ticketing is exactly the sort of thing they will be looking for.

In due course you should get a letter asking you for your side of the story, but threatening prosecution. In practice though, provided you cooperate, apologise and promise not to do it again then you should be offered an out of court settlement. It will likely include recompense for any other instances they suspect, and will almost certainly end up being a lot more expensive than had you paid the correct fare for your journey.

 

[lookingforsome]

I'll assume from your first sentence that you have been short ticketing. Correct? But can you please give us more information as to where you boarded, where you were going, and what ticket you purchased and when you purchased it. Also, when in the journey did you have the interaction with the inspector. Please also post a copy of the authority to travel.

If you bought your ticket online then you can expect the investigators to review your account for evidence of any other instances where they suspect you of attempting not to pay the correct fare for your journey. Short fare ticketing is exactly the sort of thing they will be looking for.

In due course you should get a letter asking you for your side of the story, but threatening prosecution. In practice though, provided you cooperate, apologise and promise not to do it again then you should be offered an out of court settlement. It will likely include recompense for any other instances they suspect, and will almost certainly end up being a lot more expensive than had you paid the correct fare for your journey.

Hello.

Thank you for your reply.

I was travelling from London Euston to Birmingham new street.

I purchased the ticket just before Milton Keynes central just before talking to the inspector.

I believe it is ticket shorting and I’ve done it handful of times before when booking through Trainline.

When the letter comes, what would I say in my part of the story? Can I just pay the fine? Will it be criminal offence (give me a criminal record)

Thanks

The slip said:

West Midlands Trains Revenue Protection Department Authority to Travel following travel irregularity.
Inspector:
Notice No.
From: London Euston
To: Birmingham New Street
This slip entitles you to complete your journey within 90 minutes of the date and time shown.
Date: 24/02/2025
Time: 18:46

Only valid on West Midlands Trains services and without prejudice. It is an offence to misuse or alter this authority to travel slip in any way

 

[Hadders]

Welcome to the forum!

From what you've told us you've been 'doughnutting' - buying short distance tickets at either end of your journey to get through the barriers but leaving a gaping hole in the middle. This is a criminal offence and WMT are within their rights to prosecute you in the Magistrates Court if they want to.

The good news is WMT are normally prepared to offer an out of court settlement to people who co-operate with their investigation as long as they haven't come to their attention before. What happens next is that WMT will write to you, saying that they have received a report but asking for your version of events before they decide how to proceed. I suggest your reply mentions:

- That you are sorry for what has happened
- What you have learned from the incident
- That you are keen to settle the matter without the need for court action
- Offer to pay the outstanding fare and the train company's administrative costs in dealing with the matter

If you are offered a settlement expect to have to pay the cost of the fare avoided at the full Anytime rate plus an admin fee, typically £175. WMT will also search your online ticket purchasing history and if this indicates you have doughnutted before they will want to factor the cost of these journeys into the settlement figure as well.

WHen it arrives, post a redacted copy of WMT's letter in this thread, along with your draft reply and forum members will proof read it for you.

 

[lookingforsome]

Welcome to the forum!

From what you've told us you've been 'doughnutting' - buying short distance tickets at either end of your journey to get through the barriers but leaving a gaping hole in the middle. This is a criminal offence and WMT are within their rights to prosecute you in the Magistrates Court if they want to.

The good news is WMT are normally prepared to offer an out of court settlement to people who co-operate with their investigation as long as they haven't come to their attention before. What happens next is that WMT will write to you, saying that they have received a report but asking for your version of events before they decide how to proceed. I suggest your reply mentions:

- That you are sorry for what has happened
- What you have learned from the incident
- That you are keen to settle the matter without the need for court action
- Offer to pay the outstanding fare and the train company's administrative costs in dealing with the matter

If you are offered a settlement expect to have to pay the cost of the fare avoided at the full Anytime rate plus an admin fee, typically £175. WMT will also search your online ticket purchasing history and if this indicates you have doughnutted before they will want to factor the cost of these journeys into the settlement figure as well.

WHen it arrives, post a redacted copy of WMT's letter in this thread, along with your draft reply and forum members will proof read it for you.

Thank you very much for your help!

Would it be added as a criminal offence on my record?

 

[Hadders]

Thank you very much for your help!

Would it be added as a criminal offence on my record?

Not if you are offered and pay an out of court settlement.

If it ends up in court and plead or are found guilty then this is a conviction. A conviction under the railway bylaws (which is normally what happens) aren't normally entered into the Police National Computer and won't normally appear on Basic or Standard DBS checks. A conviction under the Regulation of the Railways Act is recordded. That said, a conviction is a matter of public record and organisations do have other ways of finding out. I always advise being honest when asked if you have a conviction but there are strict rules on how long a conviction has to be disclosed for when asked. The charity Unlock is a good source of information about this. A conviction for a minor railway ticketing matter won't normally impact future career prospects if you are honest about it when asked.

 

[lookingforsome]

Not if you are offered and pay an out of court settlement.

If it ends up in court and plead or are found guilty then this is a conviction. A conviction under the railway bylaws (which is normally what happens) aren't normally entered into the Police National Computer and won't normally appear on Basic or Standard DBS checks. A conviction under the Regulation of the Railways Act is recordded. That said, a conviction is a matter of public record and organisations do have other ways of finding out. I always advise being honest when asked if you have a conviction but there are strict rules on how long a conviction has to be disclosed for when asked. The charity Unlock is a good source of information about this. A conviction for a minor railway ticketing matter won't normally impact future career prospects if you are honest about it when asked.

I am hoping to pay the fine rather than it going to the court.

Thank you so much for your help!!

 

[WesternLancer]

I am hoping to pay the fine rather than it going to the court.

Thank you so much for your help!!

An out of court settlement is paying them what you have evaded (at the rate of the most expensive Anytime single fare). It’s not a fine, although it may seem like it.

I Suspect you are confusing it with a Penalty Fare of £100 that you see on warning posters at stations. But you have not been given a Penalty Fare. This is because the ticket inspector suspected you of regular and deliberate fare evasion. This will likely cost more than a Penalty Fare.

If it went to court and you were found guilty the court would set a fine, which is the sentence from the court (not prison) ie the punishment for the crime of evading the fare. But you should aim to avoid it going to court, because a court fine comes with a criminal record that most people wish to avoid.

I hope this helps explain.

 

[Cuthbert]

They will charge a standard ticket per trip plus £150 admin fee.
They will check your history if you used TrainLine or TrainPal.
And if they see similar trips charge you for those too.
If you have returns they will charge two Standard Singles London Euston to Birmingham which will be costly. They do not take into consideration any fares you have paid for already.

 

[lookingforsome]

Not if you are offered and pay an out of court settlement.

If it ends up in court and plead or are found guilty then this is a conviction. A conviction under the railway bylaws (which is normally what happens) aren't normally entered into the Police National Computer and won't normally appear on Basic or Standard DBS checks. A conviction under the Regulation of the Railways Act is recordded. That said, a conviction is a matter of public record and organisations do have other ways of finding out. I always advise being honest when asked if you have a conviction but there are strict rules on how long a conviction has to be disclosed for when asked. The charity Unlock is a good source of information about this. A conviction for a minor railway ticketing matter won't normally impact future career prospects if you are honest about it when asked.

Hello.

I’ve still not had a letter come through.

I have been checking the IRCAS website using the number on the slip to find my case but had no luck.

Should I contact someone or let it play?

Thanks

 

[30907]

Hello.

I’ve still not had a letter come through.

I have been checking the IRCAS website using the number on the slip to find my case but had no luck.

Should I contact someone or let it play?

Thanks

They aren't that quick! Could well be another month or two

 

[lookingforsome]

Hello,

I Just got this reply back. I emailed them on the day it happened

 

[Haywain]

Hello,

I Just got this reply back. I emailed them on the day it happened

I think there may be a typo there, and they've actually received your file.

 

[muuuuuu]

Hi, any letters you have received further?

 

[notmyrealname]

Hi, welcome to the forum.

If you have a similar problem, it's best to start your own thread. No two people's problems are ever exactly the same and helping two people on one thread just becomes confusing.

 

[Elecman]

How did you get through the barriers at Euston? Presumably another ticket so you have tickets with entry scans but no exit scan and tickets with no entry scan but exit scans

 

[AlterEgo]

How did you get through the barriers at Euston? Presumably another ticket so you have tickets with entry scans but no exit scan and tickets with no entry scan but exit scans

Many trains at Euston leave from the unbarriered platforms.