Notice of intention to prosecute letter

[LocksTartan]

First of all, thanks in advance to everyone on this forum and for the assistance you provide in what is usually a quite stressful experience, reading all of the advice and support you give has been really useful!

On Wednesday 25th February I boarded a train from Finsbury Park to Stevenage without a ticket, I ran from the underground and only just made it, so didn't stop to buy a ticket to travel.

I noticed further up the train there was an inspector and so quickly went on trainline and purchased a ticket, albeit for the train after, as it obviously didn't allow me to buy one retrospectively for the train I was already on.

The ticket was bought at 13:44, however the Govia Thameslink inspector challenged the purchase and took my details as well as a picture of my ticket, I'll post the witness statement receipt.

I received a letter 14th May advising 'on Wednesday 25 Feb 2026 at 13:57 your details were recorded by a member of Revenue Protection team at/near Stevenage railway station.

I understand that the ticket I presented was not a valid ticket as it wasn't purchased prior to boarding the train and that I do not have any case to plead, however, any advice you can give on how to respond to this letter and avoid my case being taken to the magistrates court would be greatly appreciated!

Many Thanks!

 

[SECR 65]

Welcome to the forum,

We see cases like your one regularly and this is a common letter from GTR, so there's no need to panic. GTR are almost certain to settle outside of court provided you are appologetic and cooperate with them.

In your reply, you will need to say:

• That you are sorry for what happened.
• That you understand that a ticket purchased after departure of the train is invalid, and recognise that you have committed an offence / are in the wrong (something along those lines).
• That you will be certain to always carry a valid ticket for future journeys and that this will be purchased before departure of the train.
• That you are keen to resolve the matter without court action and are happy to pay the oustanding fare plus any admin costs incurred by GTR (Don't call these 'reasonable' costs - recently that wording has appeared in a lot of letters and is not ideal.)

You might as well explain that you ran from the Underground, but don't string this out for too long as it won't make much difference to your case and is not an 'excuse' as such.

Have you ever purchased a ticket when the train is already in transit before? GTR may look back through your ticket purchase history, but unlike other Train Operating Companies (TOCs) they may not bother to do this. They can also only trace tickets purchased online, not those from a machine or ticket office.

I will link some other threads to help inspire your letter. Note my above comment about the word 'reasonable'. Also note that you don't need to spend ages explaining the situation and why it occured in depth. The main thing is to take responsibility and appologise.

When you have written a draft letter, post it on here for forum members to review. Let us know if you have any further questions.

Other GTR Notice of Intention to Prosecute threads - note that there will be differences between your case and each of the below:

GTR - Intention To Prosecute

Hi all, I was stopped at Farringdon station on my commute from St Albans (GTR). I was stopped for having bought a ticket after the departure of the train. I had initially bought a ticket on the same day for that journey with a 26-30 railcard that I used to board the train. I then realised my...

www.railforums.co.uk

Received GTR Intention to Prosecute Letter, travelled with an expired railcard, please help

Hi all, Today I received a letter (dated on the 7th May though) for a journey I took on the 12th Feb from East Croydon to London St Pancras International. It was an Anytime Day Return that I paid £10.15 for. I bought it prior to travel via Trainline app, which I use for all my tickets. The...

www.railforums.co.uk

GTR Notice to Prosecute - draft response

Hello, I was on a train from London Bridge to Letchworth a couple of months ago. I was supposed to meet my friend at London Bridge but she changed the plan last minute and said she'd get on the train at Farringdon so I was a bit distracted when buying my ticket on my phone and didn't notice the...

www.railforums.co.uk

GTR Notice of Intention to Prosecute letter received a few days ago -- Pls help

Hi all. Not sure if I'm doing this right. Received the letter from GTR a few days ago. Journey in question was in early February. I'd paid for TFL travel from my local station in London up to the station where I then went on a Thameslink train into Hertfordshire. I was only going one stop on...

www.railforums.co.uk

Out of Court settlement

Hello everyone, I am writing on here to ask for some advice, yesterday I was stopped for having an incorrect ticket. What had happened was I got on the train at Huntingdon and was travelling to Finsbury Park, however I didn’t buy a ticket until I saw the ticket officer on the train at which...

www.railforums.co.uk

Notice of Intention to prosecute - GTR

Hello, I have just received my letter from GTR for short dating back in the summer (August), travelling to Farringdon but only pay for part of the trip. I, of course massively regret the decision & will not make the same choice again, as it was hugely irresponsible & understand the impact it...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[LocksTartan]

Thank you so much for the prompt reply, reassurance and link to similar cases!

I’ll draft a letter and post here for review shortly.

Cheers

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 May 2026 ==

Thanks again for your advice and support, please see below my initial draft, obviously open to any comments or suggestions:

Reference:

Dear GTR Fare Evasion Manager

I am writing this letter as a response to the Intention to Prosecute dated 14th May, regarding an incident that took place on 25th Feb 2026 at 13:57.

I did not purchase the ticket I produced to the inspector before boarding the train and realise it was therefore invalid and I committed an offence in doing so, regrettably, this was an error of judgment on my part and I sincerely apologise.

Following receipt of your letter I would like to say that I fully understand I was wrong to do this, the seriousness and potential consequences of those actions for me personally, and how this considerably affects not only the railway system itself, but also other passengers.

I can wholeheartedly assure you that this will never happen again and going forward I will ensure that I always have a valid ticket for my journey before boarding any train.

I would be extremely grateful if you would be prepared to let me settle this matter without the need of court action.

I am more than happy to pay any fare owed, along with your investigation and administration costs, I can confirm I would settle promptly and in full.

Kind Regards

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 May 2026 ==

Evening everyone, my post with the draft letter was merged with a previous one, so not sure if this will show as having a recent post. Keen to send this letter off ASAP!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 May 2026 ==

Welcome to the forum,

We see cases like your one regularly and this is a common letter from GTR, so there's no need to panic. GTR are almost certain to settle outside of court provided you are appologetic and cooperate with them.

In your reply, you will need to say:

• That you are sorry for what happened.
• That you understand that a ticket purchased after departure of the train is invalid, and recognise that you have committed an offence / are in the wrong (something along those lines).
• That you will be certain to always carry a valid ticket for future journeys and that this will be purchased before departure of the train.
• That you are keen to resolve the matter without court action and are happy to pay the oustanding fare plus any admin costs incurred by GTR (Don't call these 'reasonable' costs - recently that wording has appeared in a lot of letters and is not ideal.)

You might as well explain that you ran from the Underground, but don't string this out for too long as it won't make much difference to your case and is not an 'excuse' as such.

Have you ever purchased a ticket when the train is already in transit before? GTR may look back through your ticket purchase history, but unlike other Train Operating Companies (TOCs) they may not bother to do this. They can also only trace tickets purchased online, not those from a machine or ticket office.

I will link some other threads to help inspire your letter. Note my above comment about the word 'reasonable'. Also note that you don't need to spend ages explaining the situation and why it occured in depth. The main thing is to take responsibility and appologise.

When you have written a draft letter, post it on here for forum members to review. Let us know if you have any further questions.

Other GTR Notice of Intention to Prosecute threads - note that there will be differences between your case and each of the below:

GTR - Intention To Prosecute

Hi all, I was stopped at Farringdon station on my commute from St Albans (GTR). I was stopped for having bought a ticket after the departure of the train. I had initially bought a ticket on the same day for that journey with a 26-30 railcard that I used to board the train. I then realised my...

www.railforums.co.uk

Received GTR Intention to Prosecute Letter, travelled with an expired railcard, please help

Hi all, Today I received a letter (dated on the 7th May though) for a journey I took on the 12th Feb from East Croydon to London St Pancras International. It was an Anytime Day Return that I paid £10.15 for. I bought it prior to travel via Trainline app, which I use for all my tickets. The...

www.railforums.co.uk

GTR Notice to Prosecute - draft response

Hello, I was on a train from London Bridge to Letchworth a couple of months ago. I was supposed to meet my friend at London Bridge but she changed the plan last minute and said she'd get on the train at Farringdon so I was a bit distracted when buying my ticket on my phone and didn't notice the...

www.railforums.co.uk

GTR Notice of Intention to Prosecute letter received a few days ago -- Pls help

Hi all. Not sure if I'm doing this right. Received the letter from GTR a few days ago. Journey in question was in early February. I'd paid for TFL travel from my local station in London up to the station where I then went on a Thameslink train into Hertfordshire. I was only going one stop on...

www.railforums.co.uk

Out of Court settlement

Hello everyone, I am writing on here to ask for some advice, yesterday I was stopped for having an incorrect ticket. What had happened was I got on the train at Huntingdon and was travelling to Finsbury Park, however I didn’t buy a ticket until I saw the ticket officer on the train at which...

www.railforums.co.uk

Notice of Intention to prosecute - GTR

Hello, I have just received my letter from GTR for short dating back in the summer (August), travelling to Farringdon but only pay for part of the trip. I, of course massively regret the decision & will not make the same choice again, as it was hugely irresponsible & understand the impact it...

www.railforums.co.uk

Evening everyone, my post with the draft letter was merged with a previous one, so not sure if this will show as having recent activity. Keen to send this letter off ASAP!

Thanks in advance

 

[SECR 65]

Thank you so much for the prompt reply, reassurance and link to similar cases!

I’ll draft a letter and post here for review shortly.

Cheers

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 May 2026 ==

Thanks again for your advice and support, please see below my initial draft, obviously open to any comments or suggestions:

Reference:

Dear GTR Fare Evasion Manager

I am writing this letter as a response to the Intention to Prosecute dated 14th May, regarding an incident that took place on 25th Feb 2026 at 13:57.

I did not purchase the ticket I produced to the inspector before boarding the train and realise it was therefore invalid and I committed an offence in doing so, regrettably, this was an error of judgment on my part and I sincerely apologise.

Following receipt of your letter I would like to say that I fully understand I was wrong to do this, the seriousness and potential consequences of those actions for me personally, and how this considerably affects not only the railway system itself, but also other passengers.

I can wholeheartedly assure you that this will never happen again and going forward I will ensure that I always have a valid ticket for my journey before boarding any train.

I would be extremely grateful if you would be prepared to let me settle this matter without the need of court action.

I am more than happy to pay any fare owed, along with your investigation and administration costs, I can confirm I would settle promptly and in full.

Kind Regards

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 May 2026 ==

Evening everyone, my post with the draft letter was merged with a previous one, so not sure if this will show as having a recent post. Keen to send this letter off ASAP!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 May 2026 ==



Evening everyone, my post with the draft letter was merged with a previous one, so not sure if this will show as having recent activity. Keen to send this letter off ASAP!

Thanks in advance

Firstly, don't worry about people not seeing your post - the forum software is up to it, so anyone 'watching' this thread, such as me, will have recieved a forum alert. However, I suspect that most members look through the list of threads and look at them individually based on the title, so other members are likely to pop up soon with their thoughts.

Regarding your letter, I think that it is good. Personally, I don't have any alterations to suggest, but it would be worth waiting a day or so before sending it as other members are likely to have things to recommend.

Are you planning to post a hard copy or upload it via the online portal? Did the letter they sent give you a choice between these methods?

 

[LocksTartan]

Firstly, don't worry about people not seeing your post - the forum software is up to it, so anyone 'watching' this thread, such as me, will have recieved a forum alert. However, I suspect that most members look through the list of threads and look at them individually based on the title, so other members are likely to pop up soon with their thoughts.

Regarding your letter, I think that it is good. Personally, I don't have any alterations to suggest, but it would be worth waiting a day or so before sending it as other members are likely to have things to recommend.

Are you planning to post a hard copy or upload it via the online portal? Did the letter they sent give you a choice between these methods?

Thanks for clarifying, the letter gave an option to submit via an online portal, however, I plan to send a letter, tracked and will ensure I take pics etc

 

[SECR 65]

Thanks for clarifying, the letter gave an option to submit via an online portal, however, I plan to send a letter, tracked and will ensure I take pics etc

Perfect - you've taken the words out off my mouth! Sounds like you've read some other threads and are on top of what to do!

 

[WesternLancer]

Thank you so much for the prompt reply, reassurance and link to similar cases!

I’ll draft a letter and post here for review shortly.

Cheers

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 May 2026 ==

Thanks again for your advice and support, please see below my initial draft, obviously open to any comments or suggestions:

Reference:

Dear GTR Fare Evasion Manager

I am writing this letter as a response to the Intention to Prosecute dated 14th May, regarding an incident that took place on 25th Feb 2026 at 13:57.

I did not purchase the ticket I produced to the inspector before boarding the train and realise it was therefore invalid and I committed an offence in doing so, regrettably, this was an error of judgment on my part and I sincerely apologise.

Following receipt of your letter I would like to say that I fully understand I was wrong to do this, the seriousness and potential consequences of those actions for me personally, and how this considerably affects not only the railway system itself, but also other passengers.

I can wholeheartedly assure you that this will never happen again and going forward I will ensure that I always have a valid ticket for my journey before boarding any train.

I would be extremely grateful if you would be prepared to let me settle this matter without the need of court action.

I am more than happy to pay any fare owed, along with your investigation and administration costs, I can confirm I would settle promptly and in full.

Kind Regards

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 May 2026 ==

Evening everyone, my post with the draft letter was merged with a previous one, so not sure if this will show as having a recent post. Keen to send this letter off ASAP!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 May 2026 ==



Evening everyone, my post with the draft letter was merged with a previous one, so not sure if this will show as having recent activity. Keen to send this letter off ASAP!

Thanks in advance

Draft looks ok.
If you always intended to pay the correct fare then you might mention this.
BUT I note your opening post is ambiguous on this point because you say you went on trainline when you saw an inspector down the train, which reads to me as if you might conveniently not have bought a ticket then had you not seen an inspector down…

So don’t amend your letter as I suggest, if that would be a lie. Better to say nothing on that point.

 

[LocksTartan]

Draft looks ok.
If you always intended to pay the correct fare then you might mention this.
BUT I note your opening post is ambiguous on this point because you say you went on trainline when you saw an inspector down the train, which reads to me as if you might conveniently not have bought a ticket then had you not seen an inspector down…

So don’t amend your letter as I suggest, if that would be a lie. Better to say nothing on that point.

Thanks for your advice, I plan to send the letter today and will update the post with the eventual outcome.

 

[WesternLancer]

Thanks for your advice, I plan to send the letter today and will update the post with the eventual outcome.

Thanks. Your plan seems good.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

Thanks for clarifying, the letter gave an option to submit via an online portal, however, I plan to send a letter, tracked and will ensure I take pics etc

Perfect - you've taken the words out off my mouth! Sounds like you've read some other threads and are on top of what to do!

It's perhaps worth pointing out that our long standing advice to use physical post (preferably tracked) to contact GTR was because of GTR's long standing instruction in their letters not to use email. But in the last few weeks, GTR have changed their position to allow use of their portal (albeit I think only once, so it needs to be the full package of a response). So since they now offer this, I see no reason to still push people into the arms of the Royal Mail.

But I would assume that they still don't want emails: I would guess that's because emails won't necessarily get logged as incoming communications and so might not get processed.