Penalty fare appeal advice

[horlusholar007]

Just got issued a fine on the national rail


I was travelling from Telford central to Wolverhampton


I wasn’t sure what time I was gonna get there so I didn’t buy a ticket yet


I was gonna buy it on the train


They were no barriers at the station so I had totally forgotten about buying the ticket yet


I got to Wolverhampton station and they were ticket inspectors


Out of panic I bought a ticket for the next train from Telford central and showed it to the guy


But he found out I bought it a minute ago


He didn’t believe I was coming from Telford so he gave me a fine


I have proof I was in Telford for an interview


Out of panic I also gave him the wrong address

 

[AlterEgo]

Have you been issued with a Penalty Fare? That is, a slip explaining you need to pay £100 (£50 if you do not pay in 21 days). Or, have you been reported for prosecution?

 

[horlusholar007]

Have you been issued with a Penalty Fare? That is, a slip explaining you need to pay £100 (£50 if you do not pay in 21 days). Or, have you been reported for prosecution?

This all just happened three hours ago
But I’m panicking because I’m almost eligible for citizenship and I don’t wanna ruin it by getting a record

 

[AlterEgo]

This all just happened three hours ago
But I’m panicking because I’m almost eligible for citizenship and I don’t wanna ruin it by getting a record

That hasn't answered the question.

What paperwork were you given when you were stopped? Anything at all?

 

[enyoueffsea]

If you were going to Telford for an interview, how or why would you not know what time you were going to need to be there? Did you not have a time for your interview?

If you were in Telford for an interview but were caught in Wolverhampton, I am assuming your travel started in Wolverhampton and this was on the return journey?

If so, why did you only buy a one way ticket from Telford?

 

[horlusholar007]

Have you been issued with a Penalty Fare? That is, a slip explaining you need to pay £100 (£50 if you do not pay in 21 days). Or, have you been reported for prosecution?

I’ve been issued with a penalty fare

 

[AlterEgo]

I’ve been issued with a penalty fare

Please upload the notice with your details removed so we can see if it is compliant. Are you hoping to appeal the notice?

 

[horlusholar007]

If you were going to Telford for an interview, how or why would you not know what time you were going to need to be there? Did you not have a time for your interview?

If you were in Telford for an interview but were caught in Wolverhampton, I am assuming your travel started in Wolverhampton and this was on the return journey?

If so, why did you only buy a one way ticket from Telford?

My dad dropped me off and then went to work, so I had to catch a train back to Wolverhampton
Do I have any chance of a successful appeal

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Jun 2025 ==

Please upload the notice with your details removed so we can see if it is compliant. Are you hoping to appeal the notice?

 

[enyoueffsea]

Your version of events make very little sense. When that’s the case, it’s usually for a reason.

Pay the notice and hope they don’t check your account history in the meantime and cancel it themselves.

 

[horlusholar007]

Your version of events make very little sense. When that’s the case, it’s usually for a reason.

Pay the fine and hope they don’t check your account history in the meantime and cancel it themselves.

The issue is I gave them a random address
What account history? I’ve never been issued a penalty notice before

 

[jfollows]

A Penalty Fare is not a “fine”, although it might seem so, pay it as soon as possible and that is the end of the matter. No record. No impact on citizenship.

If you get on a train without a ticket, you are breaking the law, so it’s hard to see how you can appeal, other than on a technicality.

 

[furlong]

Please give us the full honest details if you want help. Was this genuinely a one-off occurrence and would you easily be able to show evidence to prove you were in Telford at the relevant time?

Did you buy the ticket BEFORE the inspectors asked you to show your ticket? What price was it?

If the ticket you presented was indeed valid for the journey you had made and purchased before you were asked to show it then under the regulations a Penalty Fare should not have been issued and you can try to appeal on the trivial basis that you presented a valid ticket.

Is the address you gave one that you have some access to (so you could get hold of a letter sent to you there) or is it totally unconnected with you?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Might a technicality be the unpaid fare amount? The £9.00 on the PF document appears to be the price of a "TfW only" Anytime Day Single from Telford (Central) to Wolverhampton. The any operator ticket is 20p more. Is travel (with no valid ticket) on a TfW service, rather than with West Midlands Trains, likely to be consistent with a PF issued at Wolverhampton at, or around, 16:50, earlier today?

 

[horlusholar007]

Please give us the full honest details if you want help. Was this genuinely a one-off occurrence and would you easily be able to show evidence to prove you were in Telford at the relevant time?

Did you buy the ticket BEFORE the inspectors asked you to show your ticket? What price was it?

If the ticket you presented was indeed valid for the journey you had made and purchased before you were asked to show it then under the regulations a Penalty Fare should not have been issued and you can try to appeal on the trivial basis that you presented a valid ticket.

Is the address you gave one that you have some access to (so you could get hold of a letter sent to you there) or is it totally unconnected with you?

The address is totally unconnected
When I spotted them on the train was when I remembered I hadn’t bought the ticket so I tried to purchase it but the guy didn’t believe as the machine stated I had only bought the ticket a minute ago

 

[horlusholar007]

R

Might a technicality be the unpaid fare amount? The £9.00 on the PF document appears to be the price of a "TfW only" Anytime Day Single from Telford (Central) to Wolverhampton. The any operator ticket is 20p more. Is travel (with no valid ticket) on a TfW service, rather than with West Midlands Trains, consistent with a PF issued at Wolverhampton at, or around, 16:50, earlier today?

i don’t understand, what’s tfw and pf

 

[SuspectUsual]

R

i don’t understand, what’s tfw and pf

TfW = Transport for Wales. They operate some of the trains on that route

PF = penalty fare

 

[horlusholar007]

TfW = Transport for Wales. They operate some of the trains on that route

PF = penalty fare

It was a western midlands railways train

 

[furlong]

Please give us all the details of the ticket you *did* buy.

 

[alholmes]

If your priority is to get this closed down with least hassle, and without affecting any potential future application for citizenship, then it’s probably wise to just pay the penalty fare. You’ll get a discount if you do it within 21 days. If you pay it, then it doesn’t go to court and doesn’t result in a conviction or criminal record.

Others may find or suggest genuine reasons for appealing the penalty fare - you have to decide whether you would want a more detailed investigation of what happened (and potentially your history of buying rail tickets), which might be triggered by an appeal.

 

[horlusholar007]

If your priority is to get this closed down with least hassle, and without affecting any potential future application for citizenship, then it’s probably wise to just pay the penalty fare. You’ll get a discount if you do it within 21 days. If you pay it, then it doesn’t go to court and doesn’t result in a conviction or criminal record.

Others may find or suggest genuine reasons for appealing the penalty fare - you have to decide whether you would want a more detailed investigation of what happened (and potentially your history of buying rail tickets), which might be triggered by an appeal

I’ve just decided to pay the penalty fee to avoid any issues. Thanks for everyone’s comments

 

[furlong]

You do realise they made a mistake with the penalty and charged you the wrong amount so it was NOT valid a valid Penalty Fare, don't you, and you can appeal on that basis? (See message 13.)

You claim you had a valid ticket already (but haven't told us the details) yet they made you buy a replacement that was NOT valid!

The false address isn't usually a problem if you correct it.

However if you're concerned about what your ticket purchase history might show then yes paying it and hoping they'll not investigate you further (but we know this train company often does) might be wise.

 

[horlusholar007]

You do realise they made a mistake with the penalty and charged you the wrong amount so it was NOT valid a valid Penalty Fare, don't you, and you can appeal on that basis? (See message 13.)

You claim you had a valid ticket already (but haven't told us the details) yet they made you buy a replacement that was NOT valid!

The false address isn't usually a problem if you correct it.

However if you're concerned about what your ticket purchase history might show then yes paying it and hoping they'll not investigate you further (but we know this train company often does) might be wise.

I did buy a ticket but it was after I noticed the security at the exit, I’ve already paid the fee, but can you explain what the message said
Also i have a 16-17 saver railcard and i told the guy and he said it doesn’t
matter

 

[flowerpot]

did they take a photo of your e ticket?

 

[horlusholar007]

yes
they scanned the ticket which is how they found out I just bought it

 

[rubsi1003]

did they take a photo of it after scanning it?

 

[horlusholar007]

did they take a photo of it after scanning it?

No

 

[enyoueffsea]

Also i have a 16-17 saver railcard

Are you under 18 then?

 

[fandroid]

I’ve already paid the fee, but can you explain what the message said

If you've paid the full Penalty Fare then it's unlikely that anything more will happen concerning that particular journey. It's effectively too late to query it's validity now.

If you are worried about any other times you may have got things wrong, then it's best to wait to see if anything turns up in the post. Not a happy prospect, but there's almost nothing you can do now. If anything does turn up, get in touch with the Forum again.