Need advice on how to response to this email for potential fare evasion

[MOM007]

Hello guys,

I jut received the attached email from London Northwestern Railway for potential fare evasion today and need advice on how to respond.

Background

I travelled from London to Birmingham via London Northwestern Railway in February 2025, and the railway inspector asked for my railcard. I showed my physical railcard instantly, and he asked me what year it was. When I responded ''2025, why?"' he asked me to look at the expiry date on my railcard, and I was shocked to see that it expired in August 2024.

I came here as an international student in late 2022 and only got my 16-25 railcard in August 2023, and the moment I got it, I just kept it in my wallet, thinking it would only expire upon me turning 26. The officer said this was fare evasion or something along these lines and asked me to pay the price of a ticket to Birmingham (£20) which I instantly did.

I then asked him how I could renew it as I genuinely could not believe it had expired. He explained to me how but he took my physical railcard away and asked me how often I travel. I said not often. I did not tell him when I last travelled but since August 2024, I have travelled 4 times (Birmingham - London return) using trainline, once in October 2024, twice in January 2025 and once in February 2025)

I am a bit anxious about this since it happened, as it might significantly affect the line of career I am in. I also renewed my railcard the same night and placed a reminder on my phone to ensure I am reminded of renewing the railcard before it next expires.

Anyone has advice on how I should respond to this email attached?

 

[John R]

They are out to time to prosecute you as the offence was over 6 months ago. The most they can do is a civil claim for the fares avoided, which would not result in a criminal conviction.

They won’t attempt to prosecute you for fraud, as they need to prove intent, which would be very difficult.

Your best bet is to ignore the letter, and see what happens next.

 

[JBuchananGB]

The general advice in this situation is not to respond at all. The incident in February was dealt with there and then, and whatever LNR have found in your ticket purchasing history does not give them anything to claim against you, unless of course you respond, admitting to anything. They may write to you again, but they do not have a leg to stand on.

 

[MOM007]

Thank you both @John R and @JBuchananGB for your replies. For the sake of having certainty, should I at least reply to them with a copy of the ticket I paid for and to confirm the matter will be closed?

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

Thank you both @John R and @JBuchananGB for your replies. For the sake of having certainty, should I at least reply to them with a copy of the ticket I paid for and to confirm the matter will be closed?

What I also dont get is why they would reach out even though the limitation period of 6 months has passed and considering that I paid for the ticket anyways.

 

[John R]

No, don’t reply at all. Wait and see whether they chase it. They can still pursue you for a civil claim, which is obviously much less serious, but see what their next move is.

 

[Gonzoiku]

--snip
What I also dont get is why they would reach out even though the limitation period of 6 months has passed and considering that I paid for the ticket anyways.

They are expecting that they will be able to "persuade" you to admit your past sins and pay up!

But as others have said before, their only records are of you having purchased tickets with a Railcard, which is not an offence. The offence comes when the tickets are used, but they do not have any record of who used them. The "persuasion" amounts to getting you to admit that you did use the tickets yourself.

This the advice to ignore the correspondence (there will be more to come, same applies).

GZ

 

[gray1404]

I just want to add my weight to everything that has been set above. Do not respond to them. They are out of time to start any criminal proceedings. Any civil proceedings they would only be able to recover the cost of the fare avoided and that would require you and missing to using the tickets, something you are not obliged to do.

Purchasing the tickets is not an offence. They are hoping you will confess to something and then they can give you the option to settle out of the Civil Court. But they do not want you to know that hence using the intimidating and legal language.

They will continue to send these emails and they may make them sound more serious but the advice that has proved to work here is to simply ignore them.

 

[MOM007]

Hi all, thanks for all your advice. I did not respond and they have sent a further email today (18/11/2025).

Please advise how should I respond?

Further, I went through my train line app and checked that although I purchased tickets totalling up to £155.84 without knowing my rail card expired (LNWR figure is £156.30; not sure why), I did not end up using the tickets on 3 separate occassions, therefore the total worth of tickets which I have used is £109.21.

Further, in relation to the main incident itself on the 17th Feb 2024 where the railway inspector found out my railway card was not valid, they did not seem to include that ticket fare in the calculation of the outstanding amount, as I believe it is because I paid for the full fare after he spoke to me.

 

[Titfield]

The advice still stands. They are out of time to prosecute. They could make a civil claim against you but they would need to convince the court you had indeed travelled with an invalid ticket or you would have to admit you had travelled. Purchasing a ticket with a railcard discount applied but not having a valid railcard is not in itself an offence.

The choice is yours. Do you admit to them that you did not have a valid railcard and travelled? You would then have to pay the fare avoided. This would perhaps ease your conscience. OR do you ignore it and take the risk they take civil action against you?

 

[z444z]

Hi all, thanks for all your advice. I did not respond and they have sent a further email today (18/11/2025).

Please advise how should I respond?

Further, I went through my train line app and checked that although I purchased tickets totalling up to £155.84 without knowing my rail card expired (LNWR figure is £156.30; not sure why), I did not end up using the tickets on 3 separate occassions, therefore the total worth of tickets which I have used is £109.21.

Further, in relation to the main incident itself on the 17th Feb 2024 where the railway inspector found out my railway card was not valid, they did not seem to include that ticket fare in the calculation of the outstanding amount, as I believe it is because I paid for the full fare after he spoke to me.

I would say you can continue to ignore. They are out of time to prosecute you. The worst that can happen if you continue to ignore them is that they bring a civil claim against you, and even if they win that they probably wouldn’t be awarded any more than they’re currently asking for (wait to hear if others think I’m right on this point though!). A civil judgement against you does not lead to a criminal record of any kind, and I believe as long as you pay it within 28 days has no impact on your credit score.

If you feel you must respond, please let the experts here help you word your response in order to avoid making things worse!

 

[AlterEgo]

Hi all, thanks for all your advice. I did not respond and they have sent a further email today (18/11/2025).

Please advise how should I respond?

Further, I went through my train line app and checked that although I purchased tickets totalling up to £155.84 without knowing my rail card expired (LNWR figure is £156.30; not sure why), I did not end up using the tickets on 3 separate occassions, therefore the total worth of tickets which I have used is £109.21.

Further, in relation to the main incident itself on the 17th Feb 2024 where the railway inspector found out my railway card was not valid, they did not seem to include that ticket fare in the calculation of the outstanding amount, as I believe it is because I paid for the full fare after he spoke to me.

They're too feckless and lazy to have done anything about this in nine whole months so you can now rest assured they can't prosecute you. @Titfield has otherwise given the same advice I would.

 

[gray1404]

My advise remains unchanged. Do not respond. Expect a further email too.

 

[MOM007]

Hi all thanks for your reply and I understand from the responses, the advice has not changed. However, I am inclined to settle the matter simply because having a civil claim issue against me may affect my prospects of admission in the future as as solicitor as I have moved here to England just to achieve this goal.

The solicitor regulation authority takes matters like unpaid train fares more seriously than it should and there tends to be a disproportionate reaction from the regulator unfortunately including being struck off from the profession permanently. Anything which raises question of integrity and dishonesty will cause the regulator to look into this in the future. I do not think there is dishonesty on my part but I am wondering whether my integrity can be questioned especially If I drag this on until a civil claim is brought knowing I should have paid the fares which I was not entitled to in hindsight.

Therefore to be on the safe side, I have drafted a draft email to respond to them. I was hoping to get some feedback on this. It has been quite frustrating to deal with this and I thank you all for all your help on this matter.

Note that Exhibit A will be a screenshot of my new railcard which I renewed and Exhibit B is the physcial ticket I retained as proof of paying the full fare on the day of the incident.

Dear Fraud and Investigations Manager,


Thank you for your email of 18 November 2025.


I would like to clarify the position and explain that there was never any intention on my part to avoid paying the correct fare. My use of an expired railcard occurred solely because I honestly did not realise it had expired. Please note the following:

1. When the revenue inspector approached me, I immediately produced my physical railcard because I genuinely believed it was still valid. I was surprised to learn that it had expired, as I mistakenly thought it would run until my 26th birthday.
2. I asked the inspector how to renew my railcard and renewed it straight away via the Trainline app (see Exhibit A).
3. I also paid the full fare for the journey on the same day, 17 February 2025 (see Exhibit B).
4. Since the incident, I have set a reminder to ensure I renew my railcard on time in the future.

I am keen to resolve this matter promptly and cooperatively. Although I did not knowingly travel without entitlement to the discounted fare, I am willing—on a without-prejudice, no-admission-of-liability basis—to pay the amount of £306.30 in order to bring this matter to a close.


Could you please provide payment details so that I can settle the matter and confirm that settlement will conclude the matter entirely.


Kind regards,

 

[WesternLancer]

Hi all thanks for your reply and I understand from the responses, the advice has not changed. However, I am inclined to settle the matter simply because having a civil claim issue against me may affect my prospects of admission in the future as as solicitor as I have moved here to England just to achieve this goal.

The solicitor regulation authority takes matters like unpaid train fares more seriously than it should and there tends to be a disproportionate reaction from the regulator unfortunately including being struck off from the profession permanently. Anything which raises question of integrity and dishonesty will cause the regulator to look into this in the future. I do not think there is dishonesty on my part but I am wondering whether my integrity can be questioned especially If I drag this on until a civil claim is brought knowing I should have paid the fares which I was not entitled to in hindsight.

Therefore to be on the safe side, I have drafted a draft email to respond to them. I was hoping to get some feedback on this. It has been quite frustrating to deal with this and I thank you all for all your help on this matter.

Note that Exhibit A will be a screenshot of my new railcard which I renewed and Exhibit B is the physcial ticket I retained as proof of paying the full fare on the day of the incident.

Dear Fraud and Investigations Manager,


Thank you for your email of 18 November 2025.


I would like to clarify the position and explain that there was never any intention on my part to avoid paying the correct fare. My use of an expired railcard occurred solely because I honestly did not realise it had expired. Please note the following:

1. When the revenue inspector approached me, I immediately produced my physical railcard because I genuinely believed it was still valid. I was surprised to learn that it had expired, as I mistakenly thought it would run until my 26th birthday.
2. I asked the inspector how to renew my railcard and renewed it straight away via the Trainline app (see Exhibit A).
3. I also paid the full fare for the journey on the same day, 17 February 2025 (see Exhibit B).
4. Since the incident, I have set a reminder to ensure I renew my railcard on time in the future.

I am keen to resolve this matter promptly and cooperatively. Although I did not knowingly travel without entitlement to the discounted fare, I am willing—on a without-prejudice, no-admission-of-liability basis—to pay the amount of £306.30 in order to bring this matter to a close.


Could you please provide payment details so that I can settle the matter and confirm that settlement will conclude the matter entirely.


Kind regards,

Given you’ve weighed this up and decided the option you wish to choose I’d say the letter draft looks ok.

However the bit at the end …’knowingly travel without….’ Is a bit complex wording

Maybe simplify it by saying again eg ‘I had no intention of travelling without a valid ticket, I am willing…’

Maybe hold on for a bit before sending to give others the chance to make suggestions.

 

[Haywain]

Hi all thanks for your reply and I understand from the responses, the advice has not changed. However, I am inclined to settle the matter simply because having a civil claim issue against me may affect my prospects of admission in the future as as solicitor as I have moved here to England just to achieve this goal.

The solicitor regulation authority takes matters like unpaid train fares more seriously than it should and there tends to be a disproportionate reaction from the regulator unfortunately including being struck off from the profession permanently. Anything which raises question of integrity and dishonesty will cause the regulator to look into this in the future. I do not think there is dishonesty on my part but I am wondering whether my integrity can be questioned especially If I drag this on until a civil claim is brought knowing I should have paid the fares which I was not entitled to in hindsight.

Therefore to be on the safe side, I have drafted a draft email to respond to them. I was hoping to get some feedback on this. It has been quite frustrating to deal with this and I thank you all for all your help on this matter.

Note that Exhibit A will be a screenshot of my new railcard which I renewed and Exhibit B is the physcial ticket I retained as proof of paying the full fare on the day of the incident.

Dear Fraud and Investigations Manager,


Thank you for your email of 18 November 2025.


I would like to clarify the position and explain that there was never any intention on my part to avoid paying the correct fare. My use of an expired railcard occurred solely because I honestly did not realise it had expired. Please note the following:

1. When the revenue inspector approached me, I immediately produced my physical railcard because I genuinely believed it was still valid. I was surprised to learn that it had expired, as I mistakenly thought it would run until my 26th birthday.
2. I asked the inspector how to renew my railcard and renewed it straight away via the Trainline app (see Exhibit A).
3. I also paid the full fare for the journey on the same day, 17 February 2025 (see Exhibit B).
4. Since the incident, I have set a reminder to ensure I renew my railcard on time in the future.

I am keen to resolve this matter promptly and cooperatively. Although I did not knowingly travel without entitlement to the discounted fare, I am willing—on a without-prejudice, no-admission-of-liability basis—to pay the amount of £306.30 in order to bring this matter to a close.


Could you please provide payment details so that I can settle the matter and confirm that settlement will conclude the matter entirely.


Kind regards,

Cut out all the waffle - save that for when you actually are a solicitor - and pay the money. All you needs to say is "Thanks for the opportunity to close the matter, my cheque is enclosed."

 

[WesternLancer]

Cut out all the waffle - save that for when you actually are a solicitor - and pay the money. All you needs to say is "Thanks for the opportunity to close the matter, my cheque is enclosed."

Personally I think there’s some benefit in putting it on the record that there was no intention to avoid paying the correct fare and this was all an oversight in failing to note railcard expiry.
Whilst at this point the railway company might not care much about that if there was some future ticket issue / different mistake that escalated, however unlikely, then a reply stating this now might possibly be helpful to refer back to (so a copy should be kept long term).

 

[Tetchytyke]

I do not think there is dishonesty on my part but I am wondering whether my integrity can be questioned especially If I drag this on until a civil claim is brought knowing I should have paid the fares which I was not entitled to in hindsight.

Integrity isn't the same thing as dishonesty; honesty is merely a subset of integrity. Acting recklessly or negligently, even if you weren't dishonest, can demonstrate a lack of integrity. Failing to check a railcard expiry date for six months certainly demonstrates a certain negligence on your part.

So even if you do settle, this may be something you have to declare to the Solicitors Regulation Authority anyway (I'm not familiar with their wording, but it is something I would have to declare to my regulator).

It's worth noting in your letter that you inadvertently made a mistake as to your understanding of the railcard's validity, but otherwise cut the waffle as @Haywain suggests.

 

[MOM007]

Hi thanks all for the replies and feedback, the matter has been settled.

 

[Titfield]

Hi thanks all for the replies and feedback, the matter has been settled.

Thank you for the update. Please can you tell us what the settlement was if you feel comfortable in doing so?

The more outcomes we have, the better we can advise future posters of likely outcomes. It also enable us to detect trends in revenue enforcement policies.

Thank you.