Help! Letter from SWR Prosecution Department

[GGM]

I’m looking for some advice on how to approach a letter I’ve received from SWR in relation to an incident which took place in July. I was travelling from Ashford to Vauxhall and I stupidly bought a ticket which only covered Clapham to Vauxhall and was stopped by Revenue Protection Officers when attempting to scan out of the station. They issued me with a letter of prosecution and a few days ago received the attached.

I’m ashamed to admit I did this a handful of times previously from different stations and realise this was a stupid error of judgment for someone who hasn’t so much as stolen a penny sweet before. I travel a lot for work and really worried about how a conviction might impact me being able to get into the States for example.

Any advice on how to tackle this would be really appreciated!

 

[Trainman40083]

Presume Ashford (Middlesex) rather than Ashford (Kent) given the location

 

[GGM]

Presume Ashford (Middlesex) rather than Ashford (Kent) given the location

Yes, sorry there are two. In this case it’s Ashford Surrey

 

[Trainman40083]

Yes, sorry there are two. In this case it’s Ashford Surrey

That shows I only knew where the Kent one was.

 

[Haywain]

That shows I only knew where the Kent one was.

To be fair, the town's football club have a Middlesex suffix to their name.

 

[MotCO]

@Hadders usually gives the following advice:

As for what to put in your reply to SWR's letter my normal advice is to mention:

- 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

If you draft a copy of your reply, forum members will proof read it for you and offer suggestions or alterations as appropriate.

 

[GGM]

.

@Hadders usually gives the following advice:



If you draft a copy of your reply, forum members will proof read it for you and offer suggestions or alterations as appropriate.

ok thank you very much!

My Response below:

Dear Southwestern Rail Prosecution Department,

I am writing in response to your letter regarding the incident on 16th July 2025 incident number XXXXXXX.

I want to sincerely apologise for travelling without a valid ticket. I understand the seriousness of fare evasion and the importance of paying the correct fare for all journeys.

This has been a valuable lesson learned and something i am, and will be deeply ashamed of for a very long time.

I respectfully ask if it would be possible to settle this matter without court proceedings. I really want to rectify the issue and pay any outstanding fares and associated costs. This has been a serious learning experience, and a mistake I will never make again and I deeply regret my actions

 

[notmyrealname]

We often suggest taking action to prove to thr TOC that you've learned your lesson and changed your behaviour. Would a season ticket or a railcard be appropriate for your journey? Obviously don't buy one if it doesn't save you money.

 

[AlterEgo]

Buying a railcard or a season ticket isn't necessary to get train companies like SWR to settle out of court. These guys just want the money back really.

 

[GGM]

Unfortunately a railcard isn’t something I am able to afford at this time either.

In terms of taking action to showcase lesson learned and behaviour change, this has not happened since and will never happen again. Appreciate this isn’t much reassurance for the rail company, but I’m not sure what else I can do other than admitting fault and being willing to pay whatever is asked.

Would very much appreciate feedback on the draft response if anyone is willing to help.

 

[AlterEgo]

Unfortunately a railcard isn’t something I am able to afford at this time either.

How do you expect to afford any settlement? This will be a three figure sum even if they go for the single offence, and if they discover the other offences, could be more expensive still. You need to get some money together as a priority else they will prosecute you for the offence.

 

[WesternLancer]

Unfortunately a railcard isn’t something I am able to afford at this time either.

In terms of taking action to showcase lesson learned and behaviour change, this has not happened since and will never happen again. Appreciate this isn’t much reassurance for the rail company, but I’m not sure what else I can do other than admitting fault and being willing to pay whatever is asked.

Would very much appreciate feedback on the draft response if anyone is willing to help.

are you confusing a Railcard (£35 for a year that gives a discount on fares subject to the terms of the Railcard, so do check if one would actually help you legitimately reduce the costs of your tickets given your travel patterns - eg say a Network Railcard) with a season ticket or flexi season ticket which depending on your journey and duration of the season ticket might require a chunk up front but provides unlimited travel on the journey specified for the duration of the season but at a pro rata reduced daily rate.

But as mentioned do be aware that if SWR offer you the out of court settlement you are asking for then they will want that paid in full and quickly - they do not offer payment by instalments from what we see on here. You may need to budget for that or find a trusted family member or friend to lend you money if you don't think you will be able to pay it.

Ref your draft
It covers the stuff concerned and brevity is usually recommended on this forum -

but I just wonder if it is a bit too brief - eg if you understand the seriousness of not paying your fare why did you do it? - maybe that should be that you 'now fully understand the seriousness'. You could say that eg 'you have reflected carefully on this and realise the significant error of judgment you made by not buying a valid ticket'

But these are fairly minor amends and I don't think much to be gained by substantial re-drafting / lengthening

Keep copies of everything. If you are e-mailing it keep a copy of any auto acknowledgment you get in response to sending it. If you are posting it hard copy keep a copy of everything and post it tracked postage so you can prove it was delivered should you ever need to do so.