Awaiting letter from GTR (1st time offence)

[steven_lak]

Hi folks,
I was totally in the wrong here, but it's the first time I've had this issue so I'm looking for some details.

Context:
I was caught at the gates on the route Stevenage to City Thameslink about 4 weeks ago. I had paid a discounted fare.
My railcard expired a few months prior and I have purchased tickets this way many times since then with Thameslink. Never long trips probably saving about 3-10 quid per trip.
At the time of getting caught I was happy to pay any fine, I fessed up as soon as I knew there was no way around it and I gave my address. I wasn't provided with an option to pay the extra though as the inspector didn't seem tied to Thameslink.
I'm happy to pay any fine and admin fee that comes my way.

Questions:
How long do these letters usually take to arrive? I'm moving house soon and will need to forward all mail to this new address.
Also, how concerned should I be that they'll investigate my history since my expired railcard? How do they trace this? Cross-reference my email on trainline?
Given its GTR, how likely is this to go to court? I'll be as cooperative and apologetic as necessary, of course.
My main concern is getting something on my criminal record, so I'll avoid that at all costs, as it could have career implications for me

 

[Fawkes Cat]

Hi folks,
I was totally in the wrong here, but it's the first time I've had this issue so I'm looking for some details.

Context:
I was caught at the gates on the route Stevenage to City Thameslink about 4 weeks ago. I had paid a discounted fare.
My railcard expired a few months prior and I have purchased tickets this way many times since then with Thameslink. Never long trips probably saving about 3-10 quid per trip.
At the time of getting caught I was happy to pay any fine, I fessed up as soon as I knew there was no way around it and I gave my address. I wasn't provided with an option to pay the extra though as the inspector didn't seem tied to Thameslink.
I'm happy to pay any fine and admin fee that comes my way.

Questions:
How long do these letters usually take to arrive? I'm moving house soon and will need to forward all mail to this new address.
Also, how concerned should I be that they'll investigate my history since my expired railcard? How do they trace this? Cross-reference my email on trainline?
Given its GTR, how likely is this to go to court? I'll be as cooperative and apologetic as necessary, of course.
My main concern is getting something on my criminal record, so I'll avoid that at all costs, as it could have career implications for me

Welcome to the forum.

The good news is that as long as GTR are certain that you won't offend again (n.b. this requires rather more sincerity than ' I'll be as cooperative and apologetic as necessary, of course') they will probably let you settle out of court for the fares you should have paid plus an admin fee.

The bad news is that you may have to wait to hear from the railway: it looks as if the railway are checking your records (which will take time) and likely will find about your history of evasion ((which will cost money). You may have to wait for a bit more than six months from the date you were caught.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

You may have to wait for a bit more than six months from the date you were caught.

Is that timescale (i.e. more than six months) now fairly typical?

 

[steven_lak]

Welcome to the forum.

The good news is that as long as GTR are certain that you won't offend again (n.b. this requires rather more sincerity than ' I'll be as cooperative and apologetic as necessary, of course') they will probably let you settle out of court for the fares you should have paid plus an admin fee.

The bad news is that you may have to wait to hear from the railway: it looks as if the railway are checking your records (which will take time) and likely will find about your history of evasion ((which will cost money). You may have to wait for a bit more than six months from the date you were caught.

Ok, the money side is fine. I reckon I have about 15 fares that were illegitimately discounted. Happy to amend them.

What sort of language is required to convince them that I won’t offend again?

Also, I leave the country in roughly 4 months for good. I’m starting a new career path in healthcare in my home country (EU), which is why I want this dealt with outside of court. But that puts me in a tricky position as if the letter comes after that time it will be tricky to deal with.

Don’t they have a deadline of 6 monyhs from the offence to prosecute?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 May 2025 ==

Also, my draft letter. Assuming they don’t request I admit to any previous misdoings

I am writing regarding the incident that took place on [date] where I was found travelling with a ticket purchased using a railcard discount, despite not holding a valid railcard.





I want to sincerely apologise for this. I now understand that this was a serious error on my part. At the time, I did not fully appreciate the rules and consequences regarding railcard use, but I take full responsibility and recognise that my actions were wrong.





This is my first time being in such a situation, and I can assure you it will never happen again. I have already stopped using any discounted tickets and am willing to pay any outstanding fare or reasonable administrative costs to settle this matter promptly.





I would be extremely grateful if you would consider resolving this without court action. I understand the importance of maintaining the integrity of the rail network and regret that my actions may have undermined that.





Thank you for your time and consideration.





Yours sincerely

 

[Hadders]

Welcome to the forum!

I was caught at the gates on the route Stevenage to City Thameslink about 4 weeks ago. I had paid a discounted fare.

Exectly what ticket did you purchase and how was it invalid?

My railcard expired a few months prior and I have purchased tickets this way many times since then with Thameslink. Never long trips probably saving about 3-10 quid per trip.

At the time of getting caught I was happy to pay any fine, I fessed up as soon as I knew there was no way around it and I gave my address. I wasn't provided with an option to pay the extra though as the inspector didn't seem tied to Thameslink

When it comes to expired railcards train companies don't just issue a fine (or a Penalty Fare to give it the correct name). This is because nowadays they check ticket purchasing history to check how many times you've travelled with invalid tickets. They won't just allow you to pay the extra - if they did no-one would ever buy a railcard, you'd just chance it and pay the extra if challenged.

Where were you stopped? At Stevenage, City Thameslink or onboard the train?

I'm happy to pay any fine and admin fee that comes my way.

GTR are normally prepared to offer an out of court settlement to people who co-operate wth them, and haven't come to their attention before.

How long do these letters usually take to arrive?

Normally a few weeks. I'm told GR has a bit of a backlog at the moment but I don't think they're in danger of going beyong six months.

I'm moving house soon and will need to forward all mail to this new address.

If you're moving I suggest arranging for your post to be redirected.

Also, how concerned should I be that they'll investigate my history since my expired railcard? How do they trace this? Cross-reference my email on trainline?

Train companies work with Trainline and other ticket retailers which is all perfectly legal as it's for the prevention and detection of crime. Will your Trainline ticket pourchasing history show ticketing irregularities, for example tickets purchased with an expired railcard, or anything else like short distance tickets to get through the barriers at either end of a long journey but leaving a gap in the middle not covered by a ticket.

Given its GTR, how likely is this to go to court? I'll be as cooperative and apologetic as necessary, of course.

As long as you co-operate GTR will probably offer you an out of court settlement but expect to have to pay the cost of all the fares evaded atthe full Anytime rate with no credit given for the invalid tickets you did purchase. In addition they will charge an admin fee, typically £150.

 

[WesternLancer]

Questions:
How long do these letters usually take to arrive? I'm moving house soon and will need to forward all mail to this new address.

Just on this you can sometimes work out timelines from other cases where people have asked for advice at every stage of the process and updated at the end

For example from last year that I noted:

- the person (OP) was stopped on or around 1 Nov 2024
- The OP got the letter from GTR / Thameslink on 21 Jan 2025
- The OP replied to that letter around 24 Jan 2025
- The OP was offered an Out of Court settlement and paid it on 12 March

Whole process took just over 4 months which included the Christmas holiday period.

eg https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/prosecution-from-govia-thameslink.282995/

But it is vital you receive the letter from them or it will automatically escalate to court so if you are going away you need a Royal Mail redirect (see Royal Mail website) in place, however, if you are going abroad such a redirect will be more expensive and could be slow - so you may want to redirect to a trusted UK address where someone can check your post and scan a copy of anything sent to you, if you can.

My advice on a redirect is when you have it set up post a letter to yourself to check it arrives at the redirection address and how quickly.

Assuming this is GTR you are dealing with if it gets to the date you are moving aboard permanently you could write or e-mail GTR with your new postal address (even if abroad) but ask them to communicate with you by e-mail - assume you have a reference number to quote.

Their address is

Prosecutions Department, Govia Thameslink Railway, Eastside Offices, Kings Cross Railway Station, London N1C 4AX.

Also here is an e-mail address for them that might be of help to you to inform them of your new postal address

email: gtr.prosecutions@gtrailway.com – This mailbox should not be used to discuss the case but is acceptable to give change of addresses on

 

[steven_lak]

Exectly what ticket did you purchase and how was it invalid?

Railcard discounted price for an Anytime Stevenage to City Thameslink.

Where were you stopped? At Stevenage, City Thameslink or onboard the train?

City Thameslink at the gates. Inspector asked to see my railcard, I fessed up soon after and said I was at fault, my railcard has expired. Was cooperative, though at bit pissed off initially because he took so long and I needed to get to work urgently.

I’ve still yet to hear anything btw. It’s been almost 4 months. I’ve redirected my post to my new address after giving my address at the time to the inspector.
Would really like to do whatever needs to be done to get this sorted

 

[John R]

I would reiterate the advice given by @WesternLancer in post 6 regarding advising them of a new address and/or email address at which you can be contacted. Whilst a redirect might work, one to overseas may take longer and I guess there is a bigger risk that you may not get it.

Hopefully you being p***ed off didn't translate into anything that the official regarded as abusive, which is one of the factors that might lead to a settlement offer not being made. As you can imagine, they will get quite a few people saying they are in a hurry once pulled up, and won't be particularly sympathetic to the traveller's predicament for obvious reasons.

 

[steven_lak]

I’ve yet to move overseas thankfully. Still within the UK so the redirection is via Royal Mail, and confirmed it’s functioning.

Not sure they’d really have anything to say I was abusive. I cooperated thoroughly. Went out of my way to provide my address. Didn’t use any vulgar language toward any officials. Didn’t say anything insulting to them at all. Even thanked them, non sarcastically, at the end. I was just stressed, from beforehand, and annoyed that it was taking so long as it genuinely was making the day ahead more tricky for me.

 

[John R]

I’ve yet to move overseas thankfully. Still within the UK so the redirection is via Royal Mail, and confirmed it’s functioning.

Not sure they’d really have anything to say I was abusive. I cooperated thoroughly. Went out of my way to provide my address. Didn’t use any vulgar language toward any officials. Didn’t say anything insulting to them at all. Even thanked them, non sarcastically, at the end. I was just stressed, from beforehand, and annoyed that it was taking so long as it genuinely was making the day ahead more tricky for me.

Ok, that’s good to hear. We sometimes have to read between the lines when people make comments about how they handled the encounter, but it sounds as though you have nothing to worry about on that point.

 

[steven_lak]

Ok, that’s good to hear. We sometimes have to read between the lines when people make comments about how they handled the encounter, but it sounds as though you have nothing to worry about on that point.

I think on that point I’m fine. I was pissed off and it was evident that I was pissed off. But that was based on tone of voice, not on abusive language or lack of cooperation.

 

[aceofspades]

I've been exactly in the same position (moving abroad etc) timeline wise (recent ones) it took them about 3 months for the initial letter and another 2 months or so to offer me an out of court settlement.

All in all 5 months from being stopped.

I gave friends addresses rather than re-direction as i was/am outside the UK for the time being.

hope this helps.

 

[steven_lak]

UPDATE

The letter arrived, meaning it took about 4 months from the incident to reach me.

“Notice of intention to prosecute”

…..
“
This letter is to inform you of our intention to take this case to the Magistrates Court. However, on the last page of this letter we give you the opportunity to tell us what happened from your point of view, which could influence this decision. Information you provide should be both factual and honest.


You may have been asked by a member of our revenue protection team to send in a copy of your valid ticket or railcard. This is your opportunity to do so, however please be aware that any ticket or railcard should have been purchased before boarding the train for it to be considered valid.


Please visit the link below to upload a copy of your valid ticket or railcard:
“


They asked me specifically about the day in question, my side of events, and they asked me to upload a valid ticket from the journey.

So obviously I would like to own up to the fact that I used an expired railcard to justify paying the railcard price for the ticket. Then apologise profusely. I’ve since paid all fares in full. I’m going to ask for an out of court settlement.

Anything else I should mention here?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Aug 2025 ==

Draft response to the above:
Dear Fare Evasion Manager,


I am writing in response to your letter dated (date), Reference number: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, regarding the incident on (date) at Thameslink station.

I would like to sincerely apologise for my actions. I would also like to take responsibility for any inconvenience and extra administrative work this incident has caused staff at Govia Thameslink Railway. I fully acknowledge the seriousness of travelling with an invalid ticket. I had purchased an Anytime Day ticket with the railcard discount, knowing that my railcard had expired at the time. I deeply apologise and take full responsibility for not paying the full fare. There is no excuse for my actions.

At the time, I made a very poor decision, and I now recognise the seriousness and consequences of my actions. I recognise that fare evasion has a substantial financial impact on the rail network and undermines a system that millions of passengers depend on. Not paying the full amount undermines an integral system that many honest passengers rely on daily.

I am very regretful of my actions. Please be assured that this will never happen again. I have learned from this experience and have made amends by ensuring that all tickets I have purchased are valid and appropriate to the journey I shall undertake. This has been a sobering reminder of the importance of personal accountability.

I respectfully ask whether you would consider allowing me to settle this matter without the need for prosecution. I am willing to fully cooperate and pay any costs and administrative charges required. Please be assured that I have learned from my mistake, and I would be incredibly grateful for the opportunity to resolve this matter without formal prosecution.

As an important note, I have moved addresses since the date of the incident. To ensure I can respond to your correspondence as quickly as possible without having to rely on Royal Mail's redirection service, I have included my email address and new address at the bottom of this letter

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.


Yours sincerely,
[Full Name]
[Email Address]
[New Address]



Questions:

1 - Should I still upload the ticket I purchased with the expired railcard?

2 - Should I give any more details about the railcard expiration?

3 - Any other things worth mentioning?

4 - Will it matter if this is typed or handwritten?


Note:
I have attached the received letter in case any reference to it is needed. Seems generic compared to other letters on this forum

 

[steven_lak]

Hi folks,
2nd time posting here. Already posted the full details of my situation in a previous post, but in the interests of meeting the "within 14 day" response time I wanted to post here to ensure I can get my letter sent as soon as possible.

Original Post with full context:

Awaiting letter from GTR (1st time offence)

Hi folks, I was totally in the wrong here, but it's the first time I've had this issue so I'm looking for some details. Context: I was caught at the gates on the route Stevenage to City Thameslink about 4 weeks ago. I had paid a discounted fare. My railcard expired a few months prior and I...

www.railforums.co.uk

TL;DR:
Was caught with a railcard discounted Anytime Day ticket from Stevenage to City Thameslink a few months ago. My 26-30 Railcard had expired. Completely my fault. No excuses. This will be my first time coming to any train company's attention. I've used the expired railcard for a few months, totalling approximately 10 trips - all to Stevenage from London/North London. No mention of these in the letter below, though. They've sent me the letter I've attached below. Here is my response letter based on what I've seen on this forum.


Draft response:
Dear Fare Evasion Manager,

I am writing in response to your letter dated (date), Reference number: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, regarding the incident on (date) at Thameslink station.

I would like to sincerely apologise for my actions. I would also like to take responsibility for any inconvenience and extra administrative work this incident has caused staff at Govia Thameslink Railway. I fully acknowledge the seriousness of travelling with an invalid ticket. I had purchased an Anytime Day ticket with the railcard discount, knowing that my railcard had expired at the time. I deeply apologise and take full responsibility for not paying the full fare. There is no excuse for my actions.

At the time, I made a very poor decision, and I now recognise the seriousness and consequences of my actions. I recognise that fare evasion has a substantial financial impact on the rail network and undermines a system that millions of passengers depend on. Not paying the full amount undermines an integral system that many honest passengers rely on daily.

I am very regretful of my actions. Please be assured that this will never happen again. I have learned from this experience and have made amends by ensuring that all tickets I have purchased are valid and appropriate to the journey I shall undertake. This has been a sobering reminder of the importance of personal accountability.

I respectfully ask whether you would consider allowing me to settle this matter without the need for prosecution. I am willing to fully cooperate and pay any costs and administrative charges required. Please be assured that I have learned from my mistake, and I would be incredibly grateful for the opportunity to resolve this matter without formal prosecution.

As an important note, I have moved addresses since the date of the incident. To ensure I can respond to your correspondence as quickly as possible without having to rely on Royal Mail's redirection service, I have included my email address and new address at the bottom of this letter

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.


Yours sincerely,
[Full Name]
[Email Address]
[New Address]



Questions:

1 - Should I still upload the ticket I purchased with the expired railcard?

2 - Should I give any more details about the railcard expiration?

3 - Any other things worth mentioning?

4 - Will it matter if this is typed or handwritten?


Thanks for any help and advice you can offer!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Aug 2025 ==

@Hadders
Would you be willing to take a look at my draft please?

 

[Fawkes Cat]

Hi folks,
2nd time posting here. Already posted the full details of my situation in a previous post, but in the interests of meeting the "within 14 day" response time I wanted to post here to ensure I can get my letter sent as soon as possible.

Original Post with full context:

Awaiting letter from GTR (1st time offence)

Hi folks, I was totally in the wrong here, but it's the first time I've had this issue so I'm looking for some details. Context: I was caught at the gates on the route Stevenage to City Thameslink about 4 weeks ago. I had paid a discounted fare. My railcard expired a few months prior and I...

www.railforums.co.uk

TL;DR:
Was caught with a railcard discounted Anytime Day ticket from Stevenage to City Thameslink a few months ago. My 26-30 Railcard had expired. Completely my fault. No excuses. This will be my first time coming to any train company's attention. I've used the expired railcard for a few months, totalling approximately 10 trips - all to Stevenage from London/North London. No mention of these in the letter below, though. They've sent me the letter I've attached below. Here is my response letter based on what I've seen on this forum.


Draft response:
Dear Fare Evasion Manager,

I am writing in response to your letter dated (date), Reference number: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX, regarding the incident on (date) at Thameslink station.

I would like to sincerely apologise for my actions. I would also like to take responsibility for any inconvenience and extra administrative work this incident has caused staff at Govia Thameslink Railway. I fully acknowledge the seriousness of travelling with an invalid ticket. I had purchased an Anytime Day ticket with the railcard discount, knowing that my railcard had expired at the time. I deeply apologise and take full responsibility for not paying the full fare. There is no excuse for my actions.

At the time, I made a very poor decision, and I now recognise the seriousness and consequences of my actions. I recognise that fare evasion has a substantial financial impact on the rail network and undermines a system that millions of passengers depend on. Not paying the full amount undermines an integral system that many honest passengers rely on daily.

I am very regretful of my actions. Please be assured that this will never happen again. I have learned from this experience and have made amends by ensuring that all tickets I have purchased are valid and appropriate to the journey I shall undertake. This has been a sobering reminder of the importance of personal accountability.

I respectfully ask whether you would consider allowing me to settle this matter without the need for prosecution. I am willing to fully cooperate and pay any costs and administrative charges required. Please be assured that I have learned from my mistake, and I would be incredibly grateful for the opportunity to resolve this matter without formal prosecution.

As an important note, I have moved addresses since the date of the incident. To ensure I can respond to your correspondence as quickly as possible without having to rely on Royal Mail's redirection service, I have included my email address and new address at the bottom of this letter

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.


Yours sincerely,
[Full Name]
[Email Address]
[New Address]



Questions:

1 - Should I still upload the ticket I purchased with the expired railcard?

2 - Should I give any more details about the railcard expiration?

3 - Any other things worth mentioning?

4 - Will it matter if this is typed or handwritten?


Thanks for any help and advice you can offer!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Aug 2025 ==

@Hadders
Would you be willing to take a look at my draft please?

We seem to have missed giving you a response to this - sorry about that.

I think your draft letter is fine. It would be possible to fine tune it, but I think it should get your point across to GTR, so I think it is good to go.

I don't think you need to upload a ticket or Railcard: they ask for that in case there's a valid one that they've missed, but in this case you're not arguing about the facts, so you don't need to prove that something is different.

 

[steven_lak]

We seem to have missed giving you a response to this - sorry about that.

I think your draft letter is fine. It would be possible to fine tune it, but I think it should get your point across to GTR, so I think it is good to go.

I don't think you need to upload a ticket or Railcard: they ask for that in case there's a valid one that they've missed, but in this case you're not arguing about the facts, so you don't need to prove that something is different.

Thanks for getting back to me!
Good to hear my letter is fine.
I'm assuming, because they haven't asked about it, I should refrain from mentioning any other times my railcard had expired and I purchased a railcard-based ticket for the moment?

 

[Fawkes Cat]

Thanks for getting back to me!
Good to hear my letter is fine.
I'm assuming, because they haven't asked about it, I should refrain from mentioning any other times my railcard had expired and I purchased a railcard-based ticket for the moment?

That's our general advice - answer the question that you have been asked.

 

[steven_lak]

UPDATE:
In an unexpectedly fast response time, I've received a reply from GTR stating they're willing to settle out of court.
Amazing news! Thank you for all the help here!

However, they've charged me for ALL of the journeys that I've taken with GTR. This includes journeys that I've taken fairly with a valid 26-30 railcard. This means if I pay what they ask I'll be paying for around 10 trips that I bought fairly with my valid railcard.
What is the general advice here? I'm pleased with the situation as is, but I am getting charged almost £100 extra in legitimate fare costs.
I'd rather not shake the hornet's nest given they could still take this to court but I can prove that I had a valid railcard for some of the included journeys.

Anyone with experience in this care to advise?

 

[soil]

UPDATE:
In an unexpectedly fast response time, I've received a reply from GTR stating they're willing to settle out of court.
Amazing news! Thank you for all the help here!

However, they've charged me for ALL of the journeys that I've taken with GTR. This includes journeys that I've taken fairly with a valid 26-30 railcard. This means if I pay what they ask I'll be paying for around 10 trips that I bought fairly with my valid railcard.
What is the general advice here? I'm pleased with the situation as is, but I am getting charged almost £100 extra in legitimate fare costs.
I'd rather not shake the hornet's nest given they could still take this to court but I can prove that I had a valid railcard for some of the included journeys.

Anyone with experience in this care to advise?

You would simply reply stating that for those fares you had a railcard, providing evidence of the same.

They would then remove it from the settlement.

 

[30907]

Feedback from people who have similarly been charged incorrectly is thar train companies generally will amend their settlement offer when presented with evidence. I agree with soil on this (attach a screenshot or at least the card number).

 

[WesternLancer]

UPDATE:
In an unexpectedly fast response time, I've received a reply from GTR stating they're willing to settle out of court.
Amazing news! Thank you for all the help here!

However, they've charged me for ALL of the journeys that I've taken with GTR. This includes journeys that I've taken fairly with a valid 26-30 railcard. This means if I pay what they ask I'll be paying for around 10 trips that I bought fairly with my valid railcard.
What is the general advice here? I'm pleased with the situation as is, but I am getting charged almost £100 extra in legitimate fare costs.
I'd rather not shake the hornet's nest given they could still take this to court but I can prove that I had a valid railcard for some of the included journeys.

Anyone with experience in this care to advise?

Yes. Draft a polite reply to them as suggested by others. They usually seem to play fair if they think you are playing fair with them.
Post a draft up here if you want people to take a look before you send it.

 

[steven_lak]

Purchased the railcard from East Midlands Railway (no idea why rail companies do this) but I can no longer log in for whatever reason. I've tried resetting password and all the rest.
As it stands the only proof I have is the Order confirmation email which states that it's a 26-30 railcard for a year, from the date of purchase. Alongside this is provides the order number and, more importantly, the railcard number.
I also have a Activate Your Railcard email which gives me a railcard code.

Think this is sufficient?

The date of purchase is included on the Railcard order confirmation email

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Aug 2025 ==

DRAFT REQUEST TO REMOVE VALID FARES

Dear Fare Evasion Manager,

Thank you for considering my request to settle out of court.

I am happy to pay the outstanding fares and investigation costs for this procedure; however, I noticed while examining the fares which have been included in the outstanding fares fee that the journeys purchased from [date] to [date] were all legitimate and purchased with a valid railcard at the time.

Here is the number of the railcard that was valid when I purchased these tickets: [RAILCARD_NUMBER]
I've also included proof of purchase of said railcard through the East Midlands Railway website via the Order Confirmation email and the Activate railcard email from East Midlands Railway.

I would kindly ask that these fares be removed from the settlement, as they are not related to the fare evasion charge.

Many thanks for considering my request.

[name]

 

[WesternLancer]

Purchased the railcard from East Midlands Railway (no idea why rail companies do this) but I can no longer log in for whatever reason. I've tried resetting password and all the rest.
As it stands the only proof I have is the Order confirmation email which states that it's a 26-30 railcard for a year, from the date of purchase. Alongside this is provides the order number and, more importantly, the railcard number.
I also have a Activate Your Railcard email which gives me a railcard code.

Think this is sufficient?

The date of purchase is included on the Railcard order confirmation email

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Aug 2025 ==

DRAFT REQUEST TO REMOVE VALID FARES

Dear Fare Evasion Manager,

Thank you for considering my request to settle out of court.

I am happy to pay the outstanding fares and investigation costs for this procedure; however, I noticed while examining the fares which have been included in the outstanding fares fee that the journeys purchased from [date] to [date] were all legitimate and purchased with a valid railcard at the time.

Here is the number of the railcard that was valid when I purchased these tickets: [RAILCARD_NUMBER]
I've also included proof of purchase of said railcard through the East Midlands Railway website via the Order Confirmation email and the Activate railcard email from East Midlands Railway.

I would kindly ask that these fares be removed from the settlement, as they are not related to the fare evasion charge.

Many thanks for considering my request.

[name]

Order confirmation e mail etc should be ok I would hope. Enclose all that as you suggest.

Ref draft. I think tweak the end bit perhaps to say eg ‘I would like to ask that you consider removing those fares from your request as i believe I held valid tickets for those journeys’

If you think that might come across better of course.

Also
Do not use the word ‘evasion’.

IIRC your railcard expired and you didn’t notice which is not the same as evasion which imho conveys the sense of a deliberate act. You want to avoid that.

 

[steven_lak]

Order confirmation e mail etc should be ok I would hope. Enclose all that as you suggest.

Ref draft. I think tweak the end bit perhaps to say eg ‘I would like to ask that you consider removing those fares from your request as i believe I held valid tickets for those journeys’

If you think that might come across better of course.

Also
Do not use the word ‘evasion’.

IIRC your railcard expired and you didn’t notice which is not the same as evasion which imho conveys the sense of a deliberate act. You want to avoid that.

UPDATED DRAFT

Dear Fare Evasion Manager,

Thank you for considering my request to settle out of court.

I am happy to pay the outstanding fares and investigation costs for this procedure; however, I noticed while examining the fares which have been included in the outstanding fares fee that the journeys purchased from [date] to [date] were all legitimate and purchased with a valid railcard at the time.

Here is the number of the railcard that was valid when I purchased these tickets: [RAILCARD_NUMBER]
I've also included proof of purchase of said railcard through the East Midlands Railway website via the Order Confirmation email and the Activate railcard email from East Midlands Railway.

I would like to ask that you consider removing those fares from your request, as I believe I held valid tickets for those journeys.

Many thanks for considering my request.

[name]




Better?

 

[WesternLancer]

UPDATED DRAFT

Dear Fare Evasion Manager,

Thank you for considering my request to settle out of court.

I am happy to pay the outstanding fares and investigation costs for this procedure; however, I noticed while examining the fares which have been included in the outstanding fares fee that the journeys purchased from [date] to [date] were all legitimate and purchased with a valid railcard at the time.

Here is the number of the railcard that was valid when I purchased these tickets: [RAILCARD_NUMBER]
I've also included proof of purchase of said railcard through the East Midlands Railway website via the Order Confirmation email and the Activate railcard email from East Midlands Railway.

I would like to ask that you consider removing those fares from your request, as I believe I held valid tickets for those journeys.

Many thanks for considering my request.

[name]




Better?

I think so yes. But you may want to pause until eg weds afternoon to see if others suggest amendments.

Ultimately your call of course.

I do hope they remove those fares.

Good luck.

 

[John R]

Can you add the specific dates from and to the railcard was valid? Might make it clearer.

 

[steven_lak]

Can you add the specific dates from and to the railcard was valid? Might make it clearer.

With the order confirmation email it should be clear that it was a year long railcard. The date of the purchase is an included in the purchase and the activate railcard email should cover that the railcard was activated.

Not sure why I can’t access the East Midlands site to give more details, but that’s all I have.

If I have a screenshot of the railcard I’ll include it

 

[WesternLancer]

With the order confirmation email it should be clear that it was a year long railcard. The date of the purchase is an included in the purchase and the activate railcard email should cover that the railcard was activated.

Not sure why I can’t access the East Midlands site to give more details, but that’s all I have.

If I have a screenshot of the railcard I’ll include it

Maybe just add a sentence for clarity. ‘This railcard commenced on x date and expired on y date’

 

[John R]

Maybe just add a sentence for clarity. ‘This railcard commenced on x date and expired on y date’

Yes, anything to make it crystal clear and make the investigator’s job easier to agree that those tickets should be excluded.

 

[steven_lak]

Awesome, thank you for all the help, folks.

I managed to get into the East Midlands Railway Railcard website so I have a printout of the digital railcard.

FINAL DRAFT:

Dear Fare Evasion Manager,


I am writing in response to your response letter dated the [date],
Reference number: [number].


Thank you for considering my request to settle out of court.


I am happy to pay the outstanding fares and investigation costs for this procedure; however, I noticed while examining the fares which have been included in the outstanding fares fee that the journeys purchased from [date] to [date] were all legitimate and purchased with a valid railcard at the time.


Here is the number of the railcard that was valid when I purchased these tickets:[number]
This railcard commenced on [date] and expired on [date].


I've also included proof of purchase of said railcard through the East Midlands Railway website via the Order Confirmation email and further details related to the railcard such as expiry on the East Midlands Railway railcard website.


I would like to ask that you consider removing those fares from your request, as I believe I held valid tickets for those journeys.


Many thanks for considering my request.