Travel Irregularity Notice (TPE)

[scooterJ]

Hi,

I recently travelled on the TPE line between Greenfield and Leeds. I use a 3rd party app (Trip.com) to purchase tickets and the train was delayed so it didn't let me buy one, I bought the next station's ticket (Marsden -> Leeds).

Normally I travel between Marsden and Leeds but this time I got the Greenfield one.

The inspector asked me to show my ticket at Marsden which I did and then asked me for the ticket for the remainder of the journey to which I explained I wasn't able to purchase one since the train was delayed and he gave me an irregularity notice and took my details. What should I expect to happen next?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Sep 2026 ==

For context, I've never received a notice before.

 

[Tetchytyke]

You'll have to wait for them to write to you.

They are likely, at an absolute minimum, to ask you for the full anytime single between Greenfield and Leeds, together with an administation fee. This is usually about £150.

However, they may well also get the details of your previous transactions and inspect those too. You say that you normally travel from Marsden. You may wish to consider whether this is completely true and, if it is, how you may go about proving this, particularly if your home address is not near Marsden and is near somewhere in Greater Manchester.

There is a considerable difference in fares between Greenfield-Leeds (£19 anytime day single) and Marsden-Leeds (£7.90 anytime day single). So if there are a lot of tickets in your account history from Marsden to Leeds then TPE may well ask you to account for these and pay the difference in fares.

 

[scooterJ]

You'll have to wait for them to write to you.

They are likely, at an absolute minimum, to ask you for the full anytime single between Greenfield and Leeds, together with an administation fee. This is usually about £150.

However, they may well also get the details of your previous transactions and inspect those too. You say that you normally travel from Marsden. You may wish to consider whether this is completely true and, if it is, how you may go about proving this, particularly if your home address is not near Marsden and is near somewhere in Greater Manchester.

There is a considerable difference in fares between Greenfield-Leeds (£19 anytime day single) and Marsden-Leeds (£7.90 anytime day single). So if there are a lot of tickets in your account history from Marsden to Leeds then TPE may well ask you to account for these and pay the difference in fares.

Thanks for replying. It's the station that's nearest to me after Greenfield (around 10 mins further) and I take it precisely because of the price disparity. I'm not 100% sure how I would go about proving this though?

 

[Chiltern 165]

Thanks for replying. It's the station that's nearest to me after Greenfield (around 10 mins further) and I take it precisely because of the price disparity. I'm not 100% sure how I would go about proving this though?

What is your relation to Marsden? As in, do you work there, or live there?

 

[Fawkes Cat]

What is your relation to Marsden? As in, do you work there, or live there?

If you use paid for parking, then does that provide a record of when you have parked there (e.g. through RingGo)?

<Edited to add> It's also worth bearing in mind that if you get back to the railway and say something like 'I drive to Marsden for the cheaper fares' then at this stage it's legitimate just to assert that - but the railway would be perfectly reasonable to come back and say 'OK - prove it'. So you don't need to have your proof right now - but you do need to be certain that if asked to prove it, you could do so.

Also bear in mind that the more plausible what you have said to the railway, the more likely they are to believe you. So (for example) on occasions people have told us that they get a train from A to B, then someone gives them a lift from B to C, and then they join the exact same train that they got off at B to finish their journey to D: these people often find that the railway will require a lot of proof because the story isn't believable, and the railway thinks that they have stayed on the train from A to D without having a ticket between B and C. That's nothing like your circumstance, but you will have to convince the railway that it really makes sense for you to drive to Marsden rather than getting the train from Greenfield.

 

[scooterJ]

What is your relation to Marsden? As in, do you work there, or live there?

I live about 15 - 20 mins away, it's just the train station that I take to get to Leeds where I work

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Sep 2026 ==

If you use paid for parking, then does that provide a record of when you have parked there (e.g. through RingGo)?

I don't pay for parking I normally get a drop off/pick up via taxi or family

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Sep 2026 ==

To be honest though, I'm not really bothered about paying a fine if I have to, I'm more concerned if it becomes a criminal thing, what's the likelihood of that?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Sep 2026 ==

If you use paid for parking, then does that provide a record of when you have parked there (e.g. through RingGo)?

<Edited to add> It's also worth bearing in mind that if you get back to the railway and say something like 'I drive to Marsden for the cheaper fares' then at this stage it's legitimate just to assert that - but the railway would be perfectly reasonable to come back and say 'OK - prove it'. So you don't need to have your proof right now - but you do need to be certain that if asked to prove it, you could do so.

Also bear in mind that the more plausible what you have said to the railway, the more likely they are to believe you. So (for example) on occasions people have told us that they get a train from A to B, then someone gives them a lift from B to C, and then they join the exact same train that they got off at B to finish their journey to D: these people often find that the railway will require a lot of proof because the story isn't believable, and the railway thinks that they have stayed on the train from A to D without having a ticket between B and C. That's nothing like your circumstance, but you will have to convince the railway that it really makes sense for you to drive to Marsden rather than getting the train from Greenfield.

Sorry didn't see the edit, thanks. I guess I could argue it but actually proving it seems pretty difficult - my ticket history is semi-indicative of this, I used to get the train from Greenfield but switched to Marsden after noticing the price difference so now all my tickets are from there with the exception of 2 or 3 that are returns from Greenfield for whatever circumstance. I appreciate your response in any case though

 

[island]

I recently travelled on the TPE line between Greenfield and Leeds. I use a 3rd party app (Trip.com) to purchase tickets and the train was delayed so it didn't let me buy one, I bought the next station's ticket (Marsden -> Leeds).

Why didn't you purchase a ticket from the ticket machines at Greenfield?

 

[scooterJ]

Why didn't you purchase a ticket from the ticket machines at Greenfield?

They're on the opposing platform and the train was leaving but that aside, I'm happy to take responsibility for the fact I should have purchased a ticket from Greenfield and pay whatever fine results from that.

I actually did say to the conductor that I was happy to pay the difference but he was uninterested.

 

[speedy1]

I actually did say to the conductor that I was happy to pay the difference but he was uninterested.

Right. You must have a valid ticket before boarding. I imagine they're generally not allowed to show discretion in this circumstance.

If they let people just pay the difference when challenged, there would be far less incentive to buy the correct fare.

 

[Chiltern 165]

Do you use any vending machines or cafes at Marsden station?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Sep 2026 ==

To be honest though, I'm not really bothered about paying a fine if I have to, I'm more concerned if it becomes a criminal thing, what's the likelihood of that?

You don’t want to pay them back - they will likely want hundreds potentially thousands of pounds of compensation. If you are lucky, you are likely to be issued with an out of court settlement around £80-£200.

 

[AlterEgo]

Thanks for replying. It's the station that's nearest to me after Greenfield (around 10 mins further) and I take it precisely because of the price disparity. I'm not 100% sure how I would go about proving this though?

It's going to be problematic for you I'm afraid. You were caught having boarded at Greenfield, not Marsden, and it is reasonable for them to assume that is exactly what you do all the time absent any other evidence to the contrary.

 

[RichA]

They're on the opposing platform and the train was leaving but that aside, I'm happy to take responsibility for the fact I should have purchased a ticket from Greenfield and pay whatever fine results from that.

I actually did say to the conductor that I was happy to pay the difference but he was uninterested.

Be aware that you have had to walk past the ticket office and ticket vending machine to access the Leeds bound platform, TPE will be aware of this.

 

[WesternLancer]

@scooterJ - obviously you have had some useful advice above

As mentioned you basically need to wait for them to write to you about this and it's important you receive their letter or e-mail (so also check spam) and respond to it or things can escalate in ways that are best avoided.

The general advice usually given here on responding is:

When you receive the letter post a redacted copy of it in this thread, along with your draft reply and forum members will proof read it for you. You'll find lots of example letters you can use in this section of the forum but the reply basically needs to mention:

- That you are sorry for what has happened
- What you have learned from the incident and will not do this again
- That you are keen to settle the matter without the need for court action
- Offer to pay the outstanding fare and the railway company’s administrative costs in dealing with the matter

Further to that, they may ask you more about the details of what happened / or further investigate things, but best thing to do is to address that if / when they ask about it, either in their initial letter or later on. Advice in thread above from people will no doubt help you think about and prepare for that.

 

[scooterJ]

@scooterJ - obviously you have had some useful advice above

As mentioned you basically need to wait for them to write to you about this and it's important you receive their letter or e-mail (so also check spam) and respond to it or things can escalate in ways that are best avoided.

The general advice usually given here on responding is:

When you receive the letter post a redacted copy of it in this thread, along with your draft reply and forum members will proof read it for you. You'll find lots of example letters you can use in this section of the forum but the reply basically needs to mention:

- That you are sorry for what has happened
- What you have learned from the incident and will not do this again
- That you are keen to settle the matter without the need for court action
- Offer to pay the outstanding fare and the railway company’s administrative costs in dealing with the matter

Further to that, they may ask you more about the details of what happened / or further investigate things, but best thing to do is to address that if / when they ask about it, either in their initial letter or later on. Advice in thread above from people will no doubt help you think about and prepare for that.

Thanks, will do. As long as it's out of court I don't mind paying whatever really, can do without the headache.

 

[Chiltern 165]

I'm more concerned if it becomes a criminal thing, what's the likelihood of that?

Bumping this.

Does anyone know how Trans-Pennine typically stands with prosecution? Keeping in mind there could be hundreds of suspicious journeys, given the circumstances.

 

[dodecahedron67]

TPE are relatively ‘soft’ and typically only prosecute for altered tickets/railcards or similar.

For this I’d imagine a settlement would be offered, but I’m not the Fraud & Revenue Department!

 

[WesternLancer]

Nec

TPE are relatively ‘soft’ and typically only prosecute for altered tickets/railcards or similar.

For this I’d imagine a settlement would be offered, but I’m not the Fraud & Revenue Department!

Don’t think I can recall a case on here where we’ve seen TPE escalation to court actually. Tho I’d stand corrected if anyone wants to trawl cases with TPE.

 

[dodecahedron67]

I know of some cases which have gone to prosecution, but none of them have been reported on the forum.

In all instances it was for altered railcards or tickets at any rate

 

[WesternLancer]

I know of some cases which have gone to prosecution, but none of them have been reported on the forum.

In all instances it was for altered railcards or tickets at any rate

Thanks for the insight.

 

[Tetchytyke]

I guess I could argue it but actually proving it seems pretty difficult - my ticket history is semi-indicative of this, I used to get the train from Greenfield but switched to Marsden after noticing the price difference so now all my tickets are from there with the exception of 2 or 3 that are returns from Greenfield for whatever circumstance.

The difficulty for you is that the train company have caught you buying a ticket from Marsden when you travelled from Greenfield, so if they look at your ticket history they’re likely to assume that this is something you have done on a regular basis. Your purchase history doesn’t help you here, especially if you actually live in the Uppermill/Diggle area.

So when they come back to you to ask for a settlement, they’re more likely to want you to pay for all the times that you bought a Marsden to Leeds ticket. You’ll only really be able to push back on this if you have something to show that you did normally make your own way to Marsden.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Sep 2026 ==

Nec

Don’t think I can recall a case on here where we’ve seen TPE escalation to court actually. Tho I’d stand corrected if anyone wants to trawl cases with TPE.

TPE do prosecute, but it tends to be where people don’t engage with them.

 

[WesternLancer]

TPE do prosecute, but it tends to be where people don’t engage with them.

Agreed. I'm sure they do prosecute - but my point was that I can't recall a case on the forum where it has gone to court - so at least that helps give the idea that for the OP they can avoid court if they engage, and get advice from here on how best to do that.

 

[scooterJ]

The difficulty for you is that the train company have caught you buying a ticket from Marsden when you travelled from Greenfield, so if they look at your ticket history they’re likely to assume that this is something you have done on a regular basis. Your purchase history doesn’t help you here, especially if you actually live in the Uppermill/Diggle area.

So when they come back to you to ask for a settlement, they’re more likely to want you to pay for all the times that you bought a Marsden to Leeds ticket. You’ll only really be able to push back on this if you have something to show that you did normally make your own way to Marsden.

Cheers, in that case I'll just pay whatever they ask me to - no point needlessly pushing back and ending up going to court. I've travelled on this line about 25 times so it'll probably total at about 300 + admin. Tough but is what it is.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 13 Sep 2026 ==

Agreed. I'm sure they do prosecute - but my point was that I can't recall a case on the forum where it has gone to court - so at least that helps give the idea that for the OP they can avoid court if they engage, and get advice from here on how best to do that.

That's helpful thanks. I'm not planning to not engage with them thankfully so hopefully it'll get resolved without going that far.

 

[gembercannelle]

I recently travelled on the TPE line between Greenfield and Leeds. I use a 3rd party app (Trip.com) to purchase tickets and the train was delayed so it didn't let me buy one, I bought the next station's ticket (Marsden -> Leeds).

I use trip.com regularly and I don't see why it wouldn't let you to buy the ticket if you select the next train, unless it was the last train of the day or perhaps there was peak/off-peak difference? The ticket then would have been valid on any service.

 

[scooterJ]

Hi guys, finally received the letter. Wondering if you could give me any pointers on my response.

My draft:

------ Reference number ------

Good Afternoon,

I hope this correspondence finds you well.

On Friday the 11th of September, I purchased a ticket from Marsden to Leeds, intending to travel via that route. However I was told the train via Greenfield had been delayed and therefore had a chance to board. Prior to boarding, I attempted to purchase a ticket between Greenfield and Marsden to cover the discrepancy but the 3rd party app I was utilising refused to allow me to purchase the ticket. I was then approached by the member of staff and given the aforementioned TIR.

However, I appreciate that the above does not absolve me of my responsibility to ensure the validity of my ticket prior to boarding. Therefore, I accept full responsibility in failing to meet my obligation and am happy to pay any monies due as a result and any administrative fees this may have incurred.

I have since spoken with my employer about the possibility of obtaining a seasonal ticket between Greenfield and Leeds, thus giving me the opportunity to board at either station should the opportunity arise.

I apologise for the incident and hope that this can be settled outside of court in due course.

If acceptable, could you tell me the amount payable and how to do so and I will gladly pay.

Regards,

 

[WesternLancer]

Hi guys, finally received the letter. Wondering if you could give me any pointers on my response.

My draft:

------ Reference number ------

Good Afternoon,

I hope this correspondence finds you well.

On Friday the 11th of September, I purchased a ticket from Marsden to Leeds, intending to travel via that route. However I was told the train via Greenfield had been delayed and therefore had a chance to board. Prior to boarding, I attempted to purchase a ticket between Greenfield and Marsden to cover the discrepancy but the 3rd party app I was utilising refused to allow me to purchase the ticket. I was then approached by the member of staff and given the aforementioned TIR.

However, I appreciate that the above does not absolve me of my responsibility to ensure the validity of my ticket prior to boarding. Therefore, I accept full responsibility in failing to meet my obligation and am happy to pay any monies due as a result and any administrative fees this may have incurred.

I have since spoken with my employer about the possibility of obtaining a seasonal ticket between Greenfield and Leeds, thus giving me the opportunity to board at either station should the opportunity arise.

I apologise for the incident and hope that this can be settled outside of court in due course.

If acceptable, could you tell me the amount payable and how to do so and I will gladly pay.

Regards,

Some suggestions below - If you can afford to wait before sending this (eg until Monday morning - it might give others a chance to suggest amends)


My draft:

------ Reference number ------

Good Afternoon,

I hope this correspondence finds you well.

Dear Sir / Madam

Your Ref Number:

On Friday the 11th of September, I purchased a ticket from Marsden to Leeds, intending to travel via that route. However I was told the train via Greenfield had been delayed and therefore had a chance to board. Prior to boarding, I attempted to purchase a ticket between Greenfield and Marsden to cover the discrepancy but the 3rd party app I was utilising refused to allow me to purchase the ticket. I was then approached by the member of staff and given the aforementioned TIR.

However, I appreciate that the above does not absolve me of my responsibility to ensure the validity of my ticket prior to boarding. Therefore, I accept full responsibility in failing to meet my obligation and am happy to pay any monies due as a result and any administrative fees this may have incurred.

I have since spoken with my employer about the possibility of obtaining a Season seasonal ticket between Greenfield and Leeds, thus giving me the opportunity to board at either station should the need opportunity arise.

I apologise for the incident and hope that this can be settled outside of court in due course.

If acceptable, could you tell me the amount payable and how to do so and I will gladly pay.

Yours faithfully

 

[scooterJ]

Some suggestions below - If you can afford to wait before sending this (eg until Monday morning - it might give others a chance to suggest amends)


My draft:

------ Reference number ------

Good Afternoon,

I hope this correspondence finds you well.

Dear Sir / Madam

Your Ref Number:

On Friday the 11th of September, I purchased a ticket from Marsden to Leeds, intending to travel via that route. However I was told the train via Greenfield had been delayed and therefore had a chance to board. Prior to boarding, I attempted to purchase a ticket between Greenfield and Marsden to cover the discrepancy but the 3rd party app I was utilising refused to allow me to purchase the ticket. I was then approached by the member of staff and given the aforementioned TIR.

However, I appreciate that the above does not absolve me of my responsibility to ensure the validity of my ticket prior to boarding. Therefore, I accept full responsibility in failing to meet my obligation and am happy to pay any monies due as a result and any administrative fees this may have incurred.

I have since spoken with my employer about the possibility of obtaining a Season seasonal ticket between Greenfield and Leeds, thus giving me the opportunity to board at either station should the need opportunity arise.

I apologise for the incident and hope that this can be settled outside of court in due course.

If acceptable, could you tell me the amount payable and how to do so and I will gladly pay.

Yours faithfully

Ah cheers. Yeah I've got time I'll wait to see if there are any more suggestions.

 

[SECR 65]

Generally looks like a good letter.

I wonder if last sentence is slightly informal?

You could say "I respectfully ask if you would consider settling the matter outside of court, and I am willing to pay the outstanding fare plus any administrative fees you have incurred".

Other than that looks fine to me and says what it needs to.

 

[WesternLancer]

Generally looks like a good letter.

I wonder if last sentence is slightly informal?

You could say "I respectfully ask if you would consider settling the matter outside of court, and I am willing to pay the outstanding fare plus any administrative fees you have incurred".

Other than that looks fine to me and says what it needs to.

FWIW I think that’s a good suggestion

 

[scooterJ]

Generally looks like a good letter.

I wonder if last sentence is slightly informal?

You could say "I respectfully ask if you would consider settling the matter outside of court, and I am willing to pay the outstanding fare plus any administrative fees you have incurred".

Other than that looks fine to me and says what it needs to.

Thanks will add

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: Today at 09:06 ==

Hey guys, I received a response asking for more details regarding the times of my purchase, arrival and awareness of the delay, is that normal?

 

[speedy1]

Please post the complete letter (eg a photo of) / email with any personal details or identifying details removed, and do not respond for now

It's often an invitation to incriminate yourself (further)