Purchased the wrong ticket and got caught

[ab2002]

Hi, I was travelling to London the other day and got asked to show my ticket but I hadn't realised I purchased the wrong ticket (I had purchased it from one stop later). I got asked to show my railcard which I had and was told to give my details. The inspector said 'Don't worry you won't get a Penalty Notice but the train company will be in touch'. What does this mean? It was an honest mistake and I'm really worried.

 

[JordR]

Welcome!

First of all, please try not to worry. I know that's easy for me to say, but these things are usually pretty minor matters that are quickly resolved.

As you were travelling in London, it's important to know who spoke to you. Do you know if it was someone from a train operating company (like Avanti, LNER, Southern, Southeastern, Thameslink etc) or Transport for London?

I ask this because TfL tend to deal with people a little differently and it'll change the advice the more expert people hear give.

 

[ab2002]

Welcome!

First of all, please try not to worry. I know that's easy for me to say, but these things are usually pretty minor matters that are quickly resolved.

As you were travelling in London, it's important to know who spoke to you. Do you know if it was someone from a train operating company (like Avanti, LNER, Southern, Southeastern, Thameslink etc) or Transport for London?

I ask this because TfL tend to deal with people a little differently and it'll change the advice the more expert people hear give.

Hi! I wasn't in London at the time I was travelling to, got asked to show my ticket I purchased the ticket from the stop after the one I got on as I usually get on from this station but circumstance meant I was travelling from a different station.

 

[JordR]

Ah okay! So it's likely the train operating company will write to you within the next few weeks setting out a vague intention to prosecute you and asking you to explain yourself. Don't worry if the letter threatens huge fines or even prison time as we've seen some of these template letters do, that's unrealistic.

If you follow the advice that user Hadders often gives and write explaining that you're sorry and ask to settle out of court you will likely get an offer. Be prepared to pay the full undiscounted anytime single fare for your journey and an administration costs that will likely be £150 to £200.

 

[ab2002]

Ah okay! So it's likely the train operating company will write to you within the next few weeks setting out a vague intention to prosecute you and asking you to explain yourself. Don't worry if the letter threatens huge fines or even prison time as we've seen some of these template letters do, that's unrealistic.

If you follow the advice that user Hadders often gives and write explaining that you're sorry and ask to settle out of court you will likely get an offer. Be prepared to pay the full undiscounted anytime single fare for your journey and an administration costs that will likely be £150 to £200.

How likely is it that they'd be willing to settle it out of court??? This hasn't happened before to me and I travel a lot on the train always make sure my railcard is valid!

 

[John R]

The validity of your railcard isn’t the issue here though, so not sure why you make that point.

It would help us give you the best advice if you tell us where you got on, where you bought the ticket from, and which train operator you were travelling with.

 

[AlterEgo]

Hi, I was travelling to London the other day and got asked to show my ticket but I hadn't realised I purchased the wrong ticket (I had purchased it from one stop later). I got asked to show my railcard which I had and was told to give my details. The inspector said 'Don't worry you won't get a Penalty Notice but the train company will be in touch'. What does this mean? It was an honest mistake and I'm really worried.

It's hard to work out what has happened.

Where did you get on?
Where were you going?
What ticket did you buy?

It's important we know this because sometimes tickets valid from one station are actually valid from another, meaning you've done nothing wrong.

 

[ab2002]

It's hard to work out what has happened.

Where did you get on?
Where were you going?
What ticket did you buy?

It's important we know this because sometimes tickets valid from one station are actually valid from another, meaning you've done nothing wrong.

I got on at Southampton Airport Parkway but the ticket was from Winchester to London Waterloo.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 1 Mar 2025 ==

The validity of your railcard isn’t the issue here though, so not sure why you make that point.

It would help us give you the best advice if you tell us where you got on, where you bought the ticket from, and which train operator you were travelling with.

I got on at Southampton Airport Parkway but the ticket was from Winchester to London Waterloo. It was a SouthWestern Railway service

 

[swt_passenger]

Hi, I was travelling to London the other day and got asked to show my ticket but I hadn't realised I purchased the wrong ticket (I had purchased it from one stop later). I got asked to show my railcard which I had and was told to give my details. The inspector said 'Don't worry you won't get a Penalty Notice but the train company will be in touch'. What does this mean? It was an honest mistake and I'm really worried.

That translates as something like “I’m not giving you a penalty fare now, but reporting you for further action”. It’s a fairly normal de-escalation technique. If you’ve bought this ticket online they’ll check the records and look for previous ‘accidents’.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

The inspector said 'Don't worry you won't get a Penalty Notice but the train company will be in touch'. What does this mean?

Concur with @swt_passenger. Possibly weasel-words? Likely means that the train company will now be investigating your online ticket purchasing history to see if there *may* possibly have been similar instances of what might seem to them to be apparent short-faring. Whether or not this is the case, it's likely it will end up costing you more to sort out than a Penalty Fare likely would have, but it's still not unresolvable if you engage with SWR.

 

[ab2002]

That translates as something like “I’m not giving you a penalty fare now, but reporting you for further action”. It’s a fairly normal de-escalation technique. If you’ve bought this ticket online they’ll check the records and look for previous ‘accidents’.

It's never happened before as I regularly get the train from either Southampton Airport Parkway or Winchester to London Waterloo

 

[swt_passenger]

It's never happened before as I regularly get the train from either Southampton Airport Parkway or Winchester to London Waterloo

That’s good then, it’s much better if you have a history of using both stations.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

It's never happened before as I regularly get the train from either Southampton Airport Parkway or Winchester to London Waterloo

Problem might be, with regards to tickets ostensibly purchased for travel from Winchester into London Waterloo, is if there is no associated scanning in data at Winchester station's barriers. SWR might then conclude, rightly or wrongly, that these were further instances of travelling from further afield without correct tickets.

 

[ab2002]

Problem might be, with regards to tickets ostensibly purchased for travel from Winchester into London Waterloo, is if there is no associated scanning in data at Winchester station's barriers. SWR might then conclude, rightly or wrongly, that these were further instances of travelling from further afield without correct tickets.

I travel from both just dependent on what makes sense logistically for me on the day, would it be better to email them now regarding the whole situation or wait for them to contact me?

 

[Fawkes Cat]

I travel from both just dependent on what makes sense logistically for me on the day, would it be better to email them now regarding the whole situation or wait for them to contact me?

Our general advice is to wait for the railway to contact you first. Reasons for this include
- occasionally, although they have taken your details, the matter may not be pursued, in which case don't poke the bear:
- more practically, the railway will almost certainly use some sort of case reference system. Until you know your case reference from their contact, there's a chance of anything you send in going astray.
- and until the railway have written to you, you won't know quite what they want to discuss. It's easier to answer their questions if you know what the questions are!

 

[fandroid]

Problem might be, with regards to tickets ostensibly purchased for travel from Winchester into London Waterloo, is if there is no associated scanning in data at Winchester station's barriers. SWR might then conclude, rightly or wrongly, that these were further instances of travelling from further afield without correct tickets.

In my experience the barriers at Winchester are nearly always operational, so there should be records of use there. However, I'm not sure how easy/convenient it is for SWR to retrieve that data, so they might need to be prompted when they eventually respond.

 

[Haywain]

I'm not sure how easy/convenient it is for SWR to retrieve that data,

It's remarkably easy, even taking into account having to look one ticket at a time. The question is whether they choose to look and, perhaps, what they find if they do.

 

[ab2002]

Hi all, I got caught fare evading and received an email, I replied with this:
Thank you again for your communication regarding the highlighted journeys on my Trainline account. I have completed your table to the best of my ability and have done all I can to complete this as accurately as possible as I am anxious to co-operate with your investigation in the hope you can allow me to pay the fares that I owe rather than the matter be dealt with in court.

After reviewing the information more closely, I want to be honest and acknowledge that there were instances where I travelled without the correct ticket. While I cannot say with certainty that every journey in question was invalid, I do accept that on some occasions my actions did not meet the standards expected of passengers, and I deeply regret that. Within all the journeys listed there are a few which were completely valid, all others were a complete lapse of judgment on my part and I have learnt my lesson from this experience.

I understand that fare evasion is a serious matter. I now realise the impact it has not only on the network but also on those who travel fairly. I want to stress that I am not proud of what I’ve done. I take full responsibility for my actions and assure you that I will never allow this to happen again. I understand now that fare evasion is not a harmless act; it undermines the trust and fairness that public transport depends on. I know it should not have taken getting caught for me to start doing the right thing, but I can genuinely say that this has been a turning point. Since the incident, I have made sure to always purchase the correct fare for my journeys and will continue to do so. I have attached evidence of this as well for complete transparency.

This experience has already had a significant impact on me, and I want to do whatever I can to make amends. I would be extremely grateful for the opportunity to resolve this matter without court proceedings. If there is any way to do so, such as paying the outstanding fares and any additional administrative or settlement costs, I am more than willing to cooperate fully.

I am genuinely sorry for my actions and the time and effort this investigation has required. I appreciate your role in upholding the integrity of the railway system and respectfully ask that you consider allowing me to settle this matter outside of court.

Please let me know what steps I can take. Thank you again for your time and understanding.

I have since then received this email back:
Thank you for your cooperation in this matter regarding your rail travel.

We have now completed our enquiries and shared our findings with our Prosecutor. You will be contacted informing you of the decision in relation to your case.

If you have any questions prior to receiving correspondence from the Prosecutions team, please contact me directly. Once you have received your correspondence, please reach out to the Prosecutions team if you have any questions.

Any further correspondence will be from our Prosecutions team. You can contact them on tel: 0330 095 0153 or email: prosecutions@swrailway.com.

Unfortunately, we cannot give a specific timeframe on when you will be contacted, as the team are dealing with a high volume of cases. However, if you require any information, please let me know.

What are the chances I'll be offered an out of court settlement?

 

[alholmes]

What are the chances I'll be offered an out of court settlement?

Don’t know, as you haven’t given us any information about the circumstances… how many journeys, how you were stopped, why you were stopped etc.

But the fact that you have engaged positively with SWR should count in your favour, so there’s a good chance you’ll be offered a settlement. If you are, make sure you’ve got the funds to pay it relatively quickly.

 

[simonw]

Is this the same incident as in your other thread?

Can you please post a copy of the original correspondence you were replying to

 

[ab2002]

Is this the same incident as in your other thread?

Can you please post a copy of the original correspondence you were replying to

We are currently investigating your case concerning your rail travel from London Waterloo to Southampton Airport Parkway railway stations on 26h February 2025. You were approached and spoken to by a member of Revenue Protection staff. You presented a ticket from London Waterloo to Winchester railway stations and when questioned you explained you were actually travelling to Southampton Airport Parkway.



Consequently, you were reported for prosecution as your ticket was not valid for your entire journey.



We have examined all of your Trainline ticket purchase history and it appears that there are other journeys on the South Western Railway network where the evidence suggests your tickets were not valid for their entire journeys. Upon examination, many of your tickets purchased from Winchester have not been scanned which show that it is likely that you have been travelling from a station further afield but purchasing a ticket which costs less.



I have attached a document outlining your Trainline ticket purchase history. I have highlighted the journeys that we are investigating in orange, and these are numbered in the first column. We are writing to provide you with an opportunity to give an accurate account for each journey, specifying the start and finish rail stations and whether the journey was a single or return. Please complete columns O,R and S.



It is essential to note that we do have additional evidence, including ticket tap data, refund data, and may apply for CCTV data, which may be presented if your case proceeds to court.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Jun 2025 ==

Don’t know, as you haven’t given us any information about the circumstances… how many journeys, how you were stopped, why you were stopped etc.

But the fact that you have engaged positively with SWR should count in your favour, so there’s a good chance you’ll be offered a settlement. If you are, make sure you’ve got the funds to pay it relatively quickly.

It was 10 journeys:
We are currently investigating your case concerning your rail travel from London Waterloo to Southampton Airport Parkway railway stations on 26h February 2025. You were approached and spoken to by a member of Revenue Protection staff. You presented a ticket from London Waterloo to Winchester railway stations and when questioned you explained you were actually travelling to Southampton Airport Parkway.



Consequently, you were reported for prosecution as your ticket was not valid for your entire journey.



We have examined all of your Trainline ticket purchase history and it appears that there are other journeys on the South Western Railway network where the evidence suggests your tickets were not valid for their entire journeys. Upon examination, many of your tickets purchased from Winchester have not been scanned which show that it is likely that you have been travelling from a station further afield but purchasing a ticket which costs less.



I have attached a document outlining your Trainline ticket purchase history. I have highlighted the journeys that we are investigating in orange, and these are numbered in the first column. We are writing to provide you with an opportunity to give an accurate account for each journey, specifying the start and finish rail stations and whether the journey was a single or return. Please complete columns O,R and S.



It is essential to note that we do have additional evidence, including ticket tap data, refund data, and may apply for CCTV data, which may be presented if your case proceeds to court.

 

[30907]

Consequently, you were reported for prosecution as your ticket was not valid for your entire journey.

So SWR have sufficient evidence to prosecute for the one offence, though they much prefer to settle out of court.

I have attached a document outlining your Trainline ticket purchase history. I have highlighted the journeys that we are investigating in orange, and these are numbered in the first column. We are writing to provide you with an opportunity to give an accurate account for each journey, specifying the start and finish rail stations and whether the journey was a single or return. Please complete columns O,R and S.

For your own benefit at least you should have a good look at the document and compare it with your own records/memory.
In particular, if there are journeys where you have a sufficient explanation, you will be able to get those taken off the list.

 

[ab2002]

So SWR have sufficient evidence to prosecute for the one offence, though they much prefer to settle out of court.

For your own benefit at least you should have a good look at the document and compare it with your own records/memory.
In particular, if there are journeys where you have a sufficient explanation, you will be able to get those taken off the list.

I have already completed the spreadsheet provided and have been cooperative. There were definitely ones that were legitimate, I have also attached evidence from my part showing all legitimate journeys from and since then.

 

[Pushpit]

You will almost certainly be offered an out of court settlement, based on the missed fares in the spreadsheet. SWR wouldn't go to this effort if they wanting to just prosecute. And an out of court settlement is more financially beneficial to SWR, though doubtless that's a complete coincidence. However this is all based on what you have said here and in the previous thread, and the previous thread now looks less than candid.

 

[ab2002]

You will almost certainly be offered an out of court settlement, based on the missed fares in the spreadsheet. SWR wouldn't go to this effort if they wanting to just prosecute. And an out of court settlement is more financially beneficial to SWR, though doubtless that's a complete coincidence. However this is all based on what you have said here and in the previous thread, and the previous thread now looks less than candid.

I was not completely candid as I was ashamed and panicking, but there was some truth I do regularly travel from both stations

 

[jfollows]

For information, a season ticket Romsey-Waterloo is only slightly more expensive than Winchester-Waterloo and is valid to Southampton Airport Parkway and to Winchester. Plus Salisbury and Southampton.
Might help in future.

Train Season Ticket - Another 'Any Permitted Route' query (shorter journey)

Hi, Apologies that the 'Permitted Route' question has been on here many times but I can't see this specific query. I need to travel to and from London Waterloo on a weekly basis and therfore want a season or flexi ticket. My local station (Chandlers Ford) changes at Southampton Airport Parkway...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[ab2002]

For information, a season ticket Romsey-Waterloo is only slightly more expensive than Winchester-Waterloo and is valid to Southampton Airport Parkway and to Winchester. Plus Salisbury and Southampton.
Might help in future.

Train Season Ticket - Another 'Any Permitted Route' query (shorter journey)

Hi, Apologies that the 'Permitted Route' question has been on here many times but I can't see this specific query. I need to travel to and from London Waterloo on a weekly basis and therfore want a season or flexi ticket. My local station (Chandlers Ford) changes at Southampton Airport Parkway...

www.railforums.co.uk

this is really nice, thank you!

 

[jumble]

Hi all, I got caught fare evading and received an email, I replied with this:
Thank you again for your communication regarding the highlighted journeys on my Trainline account. I have completed your table to the best of my ability and have done all I can to complete this as accurately as possible as I am anxious to co-operate with your investigation in the hope you can allow me to pay the fares that I owe rather than the matter be dealt with in court.

After reviewing the information more closely, I want to be honest and acknowledge that there were instances where I travelled without the correct ticket. While I cannot say with certainty that every journey in question was invalid, I do accept that on some occasions my actions did not meet the standards expected of passengers, and I deeply regret that. Within all the journeys listed there are a few which were completely valid, all others were a complete lapse of judgment on my part and I have learnt my lesson from this experience.

I understand that fare evasion is a serious matter. I now realise the impact it has not only on the network but also on those who travel fairly. I want to stress that I am not proud of what I’ve done. I take full responsibility for my actions and assure you that I will never allow this to happen again. I understand now that fare evasion is not a harmless act; it undermines the trust and fairness that public transport depends on. I know it should not have taken getting caught for me to start doing the right thing, but I can genuinely say that this has been a turning point. Since the incident, I have made sure to always purchase the correct fare for my journeys and will continue to do so. I have attached evidence of this as well for complete transparency.

This experience has already had a significant impact on me, and I want to do whatever I can to make amends. I would be extremely grateful for the opportunity to resolve this matter without court proceedings. If there is any way to do so, such as paying the outstanding fares and any additional administrative or settlement costs, I am more than willing to cooperate fully.

I am genuinely sorry for my actions and the time and effort this investigation has required. I appreciate your role in upholding the integrity of the railway system and respectfully ask that you consider allowing me to settle this matter outside of court.

Please let me know what steps I can take. Thank you again for your time and understanding.

I have since then received this email back:
Thank you for your cooperation in this matter regarding your rail travel.

We have now completed our enquiries and shared our findings with our Prosecutor. You will be contacted informing you of the decision in relation to your case.

If you have any questions prior to receiving correspondence from the Prosecutions team, please contact me directly. Once you have received your correspondence, please reach out to the Prosecutions team if you have any questions.

Any further correspondence will be from our Prosecutions team. You can contact them on tel: 0330 095 0153 or email: prosecutions@swrailway.com.

Unfortunately, we cannot give a specific timeframe on when you will be contacted, as the team are dealing with a high volume of cases. However, if you require any information, please let me know.

What are the chances I'll be offered an out of court settlement?

I think I understood from The Fare Dodgers: At War With The Law programme last night claimed that SWR settle 98% of cases with an out of court.