Caught short faring

[skkkpippa]

I was caught short faring today in London. I normally buy a 16-17 saver on Trainline for two stations behind, when I’m actually coming from out of zone 5. I got caught and I gave my name and address but I lied and said that my journey started at a different station than it did, and that I had only done this twice before.

What is likely to happen to me? What is my fine likely to be? I know what I did was wrong but I spend so much money on TfL as is, and I really don’t have a lot. What can I do? I am so stressed. Are they likely to find out I lied, and will that make my punishment worse? I know I have brought this upon myself, but I wouldn’t do it if I could genuinely afford the fare.

 

[jfollows]

Welcome to the forum!

Please read https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/please-read-before-posting-in-disputes-prosecutions.77759/ and do as it asks, we need more information from you to be able to give you good advice.

If you bought your tickets online then, yes, your purchase history will probably be examined.

If it’s TfL then the bad news is that they probably won’t settle out of court, but again we need to know more details.

 

[skkkpippa]

Hi.

Welcome to the forum!

Please read https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/please-read-before-posting-in-disputes-prosecutions.77759/ and do as it asks, we need more information from you to be able to give you good advice.

If you bought your tickets online then, yes, your purchase history will probably be examined.

If it’s TfL then the bad news is that they probably won’t settle out of court, but again we need to know more details.

Hi.

I bought my tickets on Trainline. I was travelling from chislehurst to Charing Cross. I bought a child ticket from London Bridge to Charing Cross, however, I saw transport police at the barriers and quickly bought an adult ticket (single fare) but it was again from London Bridge. I then tried to get out but the ticket scanners were blocked off so I told the officer to let me out. He then said that he can see I’ve just bought the ticket and took me to someone else. They then asked me what my original station was and I panicked and lied because I didn’t yet realise the seriousness of it – I thought it would just be a standard fine of £100 so I lied and said I was travelling from Hither Green. They took my details and interviewed me where they asked how many times I had done this before (which I again lied and said twice) and then why I did it (because I didn’t have enough money – the truth). I haven’t yet received a letter as this happened this morning. How likely are they to go through my Trainline history? I presume deleting my account won’t get me anywhere? I have done this every weekday for the past two months (since I started work) for both the journey out and the return, and I had also done this intermittently prior to that. The thought of a £1000 fine is terrifying to me, but obviously the thought of a criminal record and prosecution is even worse. Please, can anyone give any guidance on what is likely to happen to me? The man who interviewed me was very kind, if that makes any impact.

 

[ohnoes]

Were you stopped by a TfL inspector?

Do you qualify for a 16-17 saver railcard or are you an adult?

Did they give you any paperwork on the day?

Unfortunately for you, trainline history is checked as a matter of course when dealing with fare evasion. Train company can also see if your ticket was scanned in and out at the barriers so if you’ve been buying short tickets chances are they’ll have a good idea if you’ve been doing this on the regular, especially if you are commuting to work or school at the same times throughout the week and your address is miles away from the station you buy your ticket from.

If TfL stopped you and you are an adult you should prepare yourself that they are likely to prosecute you in the magistrates court which leads to a criminal record and a court fine. They do not offer out of court settlements for the fares owed.

 

[skkkpippa]

To clarify, this was on a Southeastern train.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Jun 2025 ==

Were you stopped by a TfL inspector?

Do you qualify for a 16-17 saver railcard or are you an adult?

Did they give you any paperwork on the day?

Unfortunately for you, trainline history is checked as a matter of course when dealing with fare evasion. Train company can also see if your ticket was scanned in and out at the barriers so if you’ve been buying short tickets chances are they’ll have a good idea if you’ve been doing this on the regular, especially if you are commuting to work or school at the same times throughout the week and your address is miles away from the station you buy your ticket from.

If TfL stopped you and you are an adult you should prepare yourself that they are likely to prosecute you in the magistrates court which leads to a criminal record and a court fine. They do not offer out of court settlements for the fares owed.

Yes, I am an adult. I think he was a TfL inspector. When you say that TfL don’t offer out of court settlements, does this include Southeastern? I have read elsewhere on this forum that people have been offered fines by southeastern? Surely it is less expensive for them to just accept a fine than to go to court?

 

[ohnoes]

Was the inspector on the train? It’s likely he/she was from southeastern rather than TfL in that case.

Good news is southeastern do offer out of court settlements, unlike TfL. If you cooperate with them they’re likely to offer a financial settlement.

Southeastern will look at your fare history on trainline, they’ll likely want the cost of 2x anytime day single at full price for each return journey from your true start/end stations. You should start to calculate what that is likely to cost you based on how many times you’ve evaded the fare. They will not give you any credit for the short tickets you’ve bought. They’ll also add an admin fee on top of the fares owed of around £150.

Sit tight and wait for their letter to come.

 

[skkkpippa]

Was the inspector on the train? It’s likely he/she was from southeastern rather than TfL in that case.

Good news is southeastern do offer out of court settlements, unlike TfL. If you cooperate with them they’re likely to offer a financial settlement.

Southeastern will look at your fare history on trainline, they’ll likely want the cost of 2x anytime day single at full price for each return journey from your true start/end stations. You should start to calculate what that is likely to cost you based on how many times you’ve evaded the fare. They will not give you any credit for the short tickets you’ve bought. They’ll also add an admin fee on top of the fares owed of around £150.

Sit tight and wait for their letter to come.

No, it wasn’t on the train – the inspector was at the barriers of Charing Cross. Does that make a difference as to who handles my case?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Jun 2025 ==

this is the ticket they gave me. Does this mean it is southeasterns jurisdiction?

 

[jfollows]

No, it wasn’t on the train – the inspector was at the barriers of Charing Cross. Does that make a difference as to who handles my case?

We need to see the paperwork you were given to know.

 

[skkkpippa]

We need to see the paperwork you were given to know.

Just posted! Thank you so much, everyone.

 

[jfollows]

No, it wasn’t on the train – the inspector was at the barriers of Charing Cross. Does that make a difference as to who handles my case?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Jun 2025 ==

this is the ticket they gave me. Does this mean it is southeasterns jurisdiction?

Yes.

You now wait for them to write to you, you get to respond and explain yourself and if you engage with them positively they will probably be willing to offer an out of court settlement.
It will take a few weeks for them to write to you.

If you update this thread when you do, you will get advice.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Jun 2025 ==

Chislehurst to Charing Cross is £8:50 single, and you won’t get credit for invalid, cheaper fares paid for, so you might want to think about this, £17/day for each time plus £100-£150 admin fee.

 

[skkkpippa]

Thank you so much. Will the fact that I lied jeopardise me further? Not saying it is excusable that I did – but are they likely to be sympathetic of the fact that I panicked? Further, when calculating how much I am likely to pay (if they offer out of court), would it be the full cost of the journeys, plus admin fee – or more? Would they take into account that I did pay some of the fare when I would travel? I know most things will be answered when I receive my letter, but I am panicking a lot right now and just trying to get the best idea of what to expect.

Yes.

You now wait for them to write to you, you get to respond and explain yourself and if you engage with them positively they will probably be willing to offer an out of court settlement.
It will take a few weeks for them to write to you.

If you update this thread when you do, you will get advice.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Jun 2025 ==

Thank you so much. Will the fact that I lied jeopardise me further? Not saying it is excusable that I did – but are they likely to be sympathetic of the fact that I panicked? Further, when calculating how much I am likely to pay (if they offer out of court), would it be the full cost of the journeys, plus admin fee – or more? Would they take into account that I did pay some of the fare when I would travel? I know most things will be answered when I receive my letter, but I am panicking a lot right now and just trying to get the best idea of what to expect.

Yes.

You now wait for them to write to you, you get to respond and explain yourself and if you engage with them positively they will probably be willing to offer an out of court settlement.
It will take a few weeks for them to write to you.

If you update this thread when you do, you will get advice.

 

[jfollows]

No, they are accustomed to people not telling the truth when stopped. As long as you come across as apologetic and genuine in your reply to their letter it won’t be a big issue.

Two of us have already said you won’t get credit for fares paid which were invalid.

 

[skkkpippa]

No, they are accustomed to people not telling the truth when stopped. As long as you come across as apologetic and genuine in your reply to their letter it won’t be a big issue.

Two of us have already said you won’t get credit for fares paid which were invalid.

Okay, thank you so much. Sorry, you’re right you did say that.

 

[skkkpippa]

The letter arrived almost two weeks ago, however, I was away until today. I am trying to speak to a lawyer friend about this but I do want to try and respond asap as I am very frightened and some time has already passed. Does anyone have any guidance on how I should start? How much detail should I provide? I am obviously very sorry but equally I want to mitigate whatever may happen if possible. I will offer to pay a contribution too, but I am unsure as to how much I should suggest.

 

[Hadders]

This is Southeastern's normal initial letter. It's important that you reply and I suggest a short, concise reply that 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

The letter doesn't mention other incidents so I would confine your reply to the single incident where you were caught. However, Southeastern will search your Trainline purchase history and if this shows other suspicious purchasing history they are likely to contact you about this and factor the cost of those journeys into the settlement offer. If you post your draft reply in this thread forum members will proof read it for you.

It's up to you whether to seek advice from your friend who is a lawyer but unless they are an expert in rail fare evasion and ticketing matters I would be double check their advice on here. We recently had a case where someone ignored our advice and sent a letter drafted by their friend who was a solicitor. It was so bad that the train company decided to prosecute. An out of court settlement was only offered after the person engaged a solicitor specialising in rail fare evasion.

Help - Notice of Intention to Prosecute - Help

Hi, I made a bit of a stupid decision in January as I was caught with the wrong ticket. I was in a financial pickle and couldn't afford the full fare from St Albans to Farringdon, so bought a return to Radlett instead as I could just afford that and it would mean I could make it into work as...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[skkkpippa]

This is Southeastern's normal initial letter. It's important that you reply and I suggest a short, concise reply that 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

The letter doesn't mention other incidents so I would confine your reply to the single incident where you were caught. However, Southeastern will search your Trainline purchase history and if this shows other suspicious purchasing history they are likely to contact you about this and factor the cost of those journeys into the settlement offer. If you post your draft reply in this thread forum members will proof read it for you.

It's up to you whether to seek advice from your friend who is a lawyer but unless they are an expert in rail fare evasion and ticketing matters I would be double check their advice on here. We recently had a case where someone ignored our advice and sent a letter drafted by their friend who was a solicitor. It was so bad that the train company decided to prosecute. An out of court settlement was only offered after the person engaged a solicitor specialising in rail fare evasion.

Help - Notice of Intention to Prosecute - Help

Hi, I made a bit of a stupid decision in January as I was caught with the wrong ticket. I was in a financial pickle and couldn't afford the full fare from St Albans to Farringdon, so bought a return to Radlett instead as I could just afford that and it would mean I could make it into work as...

www.railforums.co.uk

Thank you so much for this! Of course I will double check with you guys. Here is my draft:
I am writing in response to your letter dated 23 June 2025 regarding the incident on 18 June 2025.



I would like to sincerely apologise for my actions on that day. I accept that I was travelling without a valid ticket for my full journey to Charing Cross, and that I purchased an incorrect ticket which did not cover my travel. I want to make it clear that I deeply regret my decision.





I acted out of financial strain and panic, but I fully acknowledge and am fully aware that this does not excuse my behaviour. I really do now understand the seriousness of my actions and the potential consequences, and I cannot express how truly sorry I am for the impact this has caused.



If you could grant me the opportunity to resolve this without court proceedings, I would be incredibly grateful. I am willing to pay the full fare owed for the journey in question, along with any administrative costs you deem appropriate to settle the matter.



Please let me know the amount to pay and how best to proceed. I assure you that I will never make such a mistake again, and that I have learned from this incident.



Thank you for considering my response.


Should I say anything about the fact that I lied, saying my journey started at hither green?? I think the only way they’d know that is if they trawled through cctv footage so I would rather not admit to lying if it’s going to make them more suspicious of me. I also told the interviewer that I had done this twice before (I’ve done it more times than that) so should I mention that in the letter, or leave it more vague?

 

[Hadders]

I think the letter is ok but I think you need to mention where your full journey was from and to. Something like 'I was travelling from Chislehurst to Charing Cross but foolishly purchased a ticket from Waterloo East to Charing Cross'.

Personally I think you should mention what your journey actually is. If your postal address is near Chislehurst station then Southeastern are bound to wonder why you're travelling from Hither Green. When in a hole, stop digging!

 

[skkkpippa]

What would be the benefit of saying where I was travelling to? Obviously I now wish that I had just been honest, but how would they know that I was lying other than using cctv – would they do that? My only concern is I don’t want to make it worse for myself by admitting that I lied, and if they look into one maybe they will look into more. Not arguing with you – I fully appreciate that you know more about this than I do – I’m just trying to understand rationale better.

 

[Hadders]

What would be the benefit of saying where I was travelling to? Obviously I now wish that I had just been honest, but how would they know that I was lying other than using cctv – would they do that? My only concern is I don’t want to make it worse for myself by admitting that I lied, and if they look into one maybe they will look into more. Not arguing with you – I fully appreciate that you know more about this than I do – I’m just trying to understand rationale better.

To have the best chance of a settlement you need to co-operate with Southeastern, not keep lying to them.

 

[AlterEgo]

What would be the benefit of saying where I was travelling to? Obviously I now wish that I had just been honest, but how would they know that I was lying other than using cctv – would they do that? My only concern is I don’t want to make it worse for myself by admitting that I lied, and if they look into one maybe they will look into more. Not arguing with you – I fully appreciate that you know more about this than I do – I’m just trying to understand rationale better.

They know you lied already. That’s why you’re in this mess.