Issued a penalty fare...genuine mistake - any help gratefully received

[RRRR]

Hi, I am hoping I will be able to appeal a penalty fare issued to me on today while travelling with LNER. I would be very grateful if you could review the circumstances of my case, as the situation arose from a genuine and honest mistake.

I had purchased my ticket in advance last Friday, fully intending to travel on 25 June. Unfortunately, I mistakenly selected the wrong date when booking being the 24 June and only became aware of this when my ticket was scanned on board the train. The ticket gates at the departure station let me through without any issue, so I had no indication that anything was wrong until I was approached by the train conductor.

I was travelling with a friend who booked her ticket separately for the same train and same date – her booking was correct for 25 June. I also purchased a return ticket to make sure I didn't have any issues on the way back home. The conductor explained the situation to me and issued a penalty fare, but also advised me that I could appeal and that LNER would take a fair view of the case. I have no history of any previous offences or issues like this before and said she had to issue a fine. Do you think penalty services will look at this as a genuine mistake?

 

[AlterEgo]

LNER are not a Penalty Fares operator, so you cannot have been issued with a Penalty Fare.

Could you upload a copy of whatever paperwork you were given, with your details removed?

 

[wilsontown]

As above, it's not clear what's gone on here. LNER don't issue penalty fares, so either you weren't on LNER or you were but they've sold you a new ticket rather than given you a penalty fare.

 

[AlterEgo]

It's more likely to be an Unpaid Fare Notice but we have to see it first.

 

[furlong]

Also, precisely what ticket it was - which stations, type, price, any railcards etc. And what time the barrier accepted it.
And you say scanned, so it was an e-ticket not one with a magnetic stripe? (With magnetic tickets, Anytime Singles and Anytime Day Singles are not easily distinguished by barriers, for example.)

 

[WesternLancer]

. I have no history of any previous offences or issues like this before and said she had to issue a fine. Do you think penalty services will look at this as a genuine mistake?

Hi - you need to share more info with us as people are asking because it seems likely that you are confusing the posters about Penalty Fares you see on stations with what happened to you, but LNER do not issue Penalty Fares so you have likely received something else (perhaps an Unpaid Fares Notice?- UFN - I think these are essentially 'invoices' for the correct ticket but priced at a high fare that is charged on the train that you could have avoided had you realised your ticket was wrong before you got on the train and bought a new, valid, ticket to replace it at the ticket office for example).

However, I think we have seen occasional examples of where LNER have reduced or waived UFNs depending on the circumstances and if they consider no financial loss has been made for example.

People will give you further advice on this if you can do things like

- state the journey involved
- upload copies of any paperwork you were given on the train
- copies of any letter(s) you have receievd since
- copy of the ticket you did have and the sum you paid for it

remove any personal details or ref numbers from any of those documents.

 

[PeteBR]

I will be honest, if the ticket was purchased online and whilst it may have been a genuine mistake the ticket was for a journey which could take place in the future so potentially someone could make this journey the day after when the ticket was valid. I do accept your reasoning it was a genuine mistake but if you look at facts you didn't have a valid ticket to travel the day before. If that had been me, I would have purchased the correct ticket from the Train Manager/Conductor and then gone back to the point of purchase with proof od the new ticket purchased and explained you had booked the wrong day and see whetehr they would consider a refund of the 25th June ticket as a good will gesture. I have known of this happening but you need to do this before the date the ticket became valid ie the day you became you had booked the wrong date, and also provide proof ie a picture of ticket purchased. Just for the record as others have commented, LNER do not operate a penalty fare notice, instead its an unpaid fares notice in effect an invoice for the journey you are making allowing you a number of weeks to pay for the price of the ticket.

 

[WesternLancer]

I will be honest, if the ticket was purchased online and whilst it may have been a genuine mistake the ticket was for a journey which could take place in the future so potentially someone could make this journey the day after when the ticket was valid. I do accept your reasoning it was a genuine mistake but if you look at facts you didn't have a valid ticket to travel the day before. If that had been me, I would have purchased the correct ticket from the Train Manager/Conductor and then gone back to the point of purchase with proof od the new ticket purchased and explained you had booked the wrong day and see whetehr they would consider a refund of the 25th June ticket as a good will gesture. I have known of this happening but you need to do this before the date the ticket became valid ie the day you became you had booked the wrong date, and also provide proof ie a picture of ticket purchased. Just for the record as others have commented, LNER do not operate a penalty fare notice, instead its an unpaid fares notice in effect an invoice for the journey you are making allowing you a number of weeks to pay for the price of the ticket.

Yes this is a good approach.

Problem in this case is the passenger got as far as being en route and on board with no one noticing ticket date until guard checked ticket being used and presumably either noticed it was dated in future by reading it or the scanner beeped to flag invalid.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 28 Jun 2025 ==

Unfortunately op hasn’t come back with any of the information asked for yet so difficult to give them further useful advice.

 

[RRRR]

Good afternoon apologies for the delayed response.

I appreciate the feedback so far. It is a penalty fare and a copy attached.

That’s right, had I know there was an issue Ie if at the barriers at 8.45am at pboro and the barriers didn’t let me pass, I would have discussed this with the ticket office or purchased a ticket which works much cheaper than a penalty.

For completeness, I purchased tickets online so it was an e-ticket.

Once again, thanks for your help so far

 

[AlterEgo]

You say you were on board an LNER train, but this penalty fare has been issued by GTR. (Thameslink)

Is this the entire notice? It appears incomplete, as the bottom is blank.

 

[maniacmartin]

I notice that the Penalty Fare picture shows that it was issued on a journey to St Pancras. Therefore it is likely that the OP actually travelled on GTR and not LNER. Just to confirm, the did the train look like this inside?

 

[Haywain]

Therefore it is likely that the OP actually travelled on GTR and not LNER.

It is an absolute certainty that they travelled with GTR. The first words on the PFN are Govia Thameslink Railway.

 

[RRRR]

It’s GTR

 

[AlterEgo]

Have you uploaded the entire notice?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Have you uploaded the entire notice?

Doesn't look like it. Seems to be folded back on itself.

 

[RRRR]

I didn’t think the rear added much, please see attached thank you again

 

[Haywain]

I didn’t think the rear added much, please see attached thank you again

There is still a very important part of the notice missing, which contains details about the reason for issue and the journey. The experts need to see these to help you.