Avanti West Coast RailCard Issue Penalty Advice

[TheGoodCitizen]

Hi all,

I am an international student and on December 16 2025, I received Witness Statement from Avanti West Coast train due to the inability to present Railcard on my journey from Edinburgh (Waverley) to London Euston station. That was my first time traveling far from Edinburgh Waverley to London Euston, and I admit there's negligence on my side where I didn't realize that while buying the discounted price, I didn't have the RailCard present. It is because I thought at first that the ticket available for selection through Trainline Apps is eligible for purchase, otherwise it would be unavailable if I don't meet certain criteria to buy it (in this case, it is my RailCard, which I don't have at the moment).

Anyway, one officer issued a witness statement, to which I've been told that I will expect a letter to my flat that requires payment of the deficit ticket prices between railcard and non-railcard value. After several days a letter came, and I would provide a chronological detail of the incidents that happened.

And recently, new letter just in stated that I've been charged to the amount of £355.50 in total, and to be honest, it shocked me. Despite all my explanations regarding the incidents that occurred, the Senior Prosecution Caseworker still charged me with a considerably high amount of price.

I'm willing to pay the deficit or up to the full price of my journey that I am supposed to pay. But £355.50 it's just too much for me to pay. I admit that on my side it was pure negligence, and negligence is still a crime. But, honest to god, there are no intentions of me whatsoever to commit violations of ticket prices, and I was willing to pay what the actual price is at that time, had the system told me that I was unable to purchase the ticket at the RailCard prices since I don't have one. The charged value really means much to me as an international student living abroad here to carry out everyday living, and quite frankly, I'm really frustrated thinking about how I should adjust my living allowance with this significant cut.

I really need help from anyone who might know how to assist with this issue I'm dealing with. I tried to contact the Avanti West Coast train regarding the issue and they gave me a link for appealing but I can't seem to input it, with the reference number that I received beginning with AWCEMG and not AWCUNF (Unpaid Fare Notice).

Anyone knows who to contact and any advice to help is sincerely appreciated.
Thank you.

 

[z444z]

Just to clarify, you purchased this railcard after beginning your journey, correct?

Unfortunately they’ve caught you without a valid ticket on an extremely expensive journey and £205.50 is the correct Anytime fare for this journey which, rightly or wrongly, is what is generally used to calculate a settlement offer. £150 admin costs is also standard.

Any attempt to get this amount reduced comes with risk of criminal prosecution. I do not think you’d have any success arguing the £205.50 fare, but you could ask them to show that the £150 admin charge complies with 9.3 NRCoT, as below, but again, doing so risks them just deciding to prosecute you instead.

The Train Company shall be entitled to recover its costs of this follow up (including claim or prosecution costs) from you whenever such costs are incurred. The sum claimed will not exceed the actual costs of such follow up steps taken.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

Hi all,

I am an international student and on December 16 2025, I received Witness Statement from Avanti West Coast train due to the inability to present Railcard on my journey from Edinburgh (Waverley) to London Euston station. That was my first time traveling far from Edinburgh Waverley to London Euston, and I admit there's negligence on my side where I didn't realize that while buying the discounted price, I didn't have the RailCard present. It is because I thought at first that the ticket available for selection through Trainline Apps is eligible for purchase, otherwise it would be unavailable if I don't meet certain criteria to buy it (in this case, it is my RailCard, which I don't have at the moment).

Anyway, one officer issued a witness statement, to which I've been told that I will expect a letter to my flat that requires payment of the deficit ticket prices between railcard and non-railcard value. After several days a letter came, and I would provide a chronological detail of the incidents that happened.

And recently, new letter just in stated that I've been charged to the amount of £355.50 in total, and to be honest, it shocked me. Despite all my explanations regarding the incidents that occurred, the Senior Prosecution Caseworker still charged me with a considerably high amount of price.

I'm willing to pay the deficit or up to the full price of my journey that I am supposed to pay. But £355.50 it's just too much for me to pay. I admit that on my side it was pure negligence, and negligence is still a crime. But, honest to god, there are no intentions of me whatsoever to commit violations of ticket prices, and I was willing to pay what the actual price is at that time, had the system told me that I was unable to purchase the ticket at the RailCard prices since I don't have one. The charged value really means much to me as an international student living abroad here to carry out everyday living, and quite frankly, I'm really frustrated thinking about how I should adjust my living allowance with this significant cut.

I really need help from anyone who might know how to assist with this issue I'm dealing with. I tried to contact the Avanti West Coast train regarding the issue and they gave me a link for appealing but I can't seem to input it, with the reference number that I received beginning with AWCEMG and not AWCUNF (Unpaid Fare Notice).

Anyone knows who to contact and any advice to help is sincerely appreciated.
Thank you.

Welcome to the forum. You might want to take down the first image of your railcard (IMG_6158.jpeg) as it shows your name - and you probably don't want the whole internet to know that for this matter. There's probably an 'edit' button which will let you in to do this: if not then 'report' your post, and the moderators may be able to help you.

 

[Watershed]

Welcome to the forum.

Please can you elaborate a little on when exactly you bought your Railcard? The screenshot you shared shows it as being 16 December, the same day you travelled. But presumably you only bought it after you had boarded the train, and thus after you had been asked to show your Railcard? If so, that still means that you travelled without a valid Railcard in the first instance.

I imagine you received more paperwork than just the letter you have attached. Please could you attach all the paperwork/correspondence you've had regarding this, so we can get the full context?

At what point in your journey were you asked for your Railcard? Do you remember if it was soon after you got on the train, or nearer to London, or when you arrived at Euston? If you have paperwork from the train with the time of issuance on it, that might help. This may make a crucial difference due to some legal details.

 

[John R]

I'm willing to pay the deficit or up to the full price of my journey that I am supposed to pay.

Unfortunately what you are willing to pay is irrelevant. If you don't pay the amount requested then Avanti will prosecute you, and, on the assumption that you only bought a railcard after your ticket was inspected, then it will succeed, as you boarded a train without a valid ticket, and could not show one on inspection. That will result in a fine, and other costs, which are likely to total more than the amount due, and you will also have a criminal record, albeit a relatively minor one.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

That will result in a fine, and other costs, which are likely to total more than the amount due, and you will also have a criminal record, albeit a relatively minor one.

Presumably, as the OP is an international student, that's best to be avoided.

 

[JBuchananGB]

As the offence of boarding a train without a valid ticket took place in Scotland, surely the Scottish legislation applies in this case.

 

[Watershed]

As the offence of boarding a train without a valid ticket took place in Scotland, surely the Scottish legislation applies in this case.

That's what I was alluding to above. The crucial point being that, whilst the Byelaws apply equally in Scotland, a private prosecution cannot be brought in Scotland without the High Court's permission. That has been given precisely twice in the last century - so, in other words, not happening for a minor offence like this.

The issue would be whether Avanti might allege that a further offence was committed under Byelaw 18(2) for failure to hand over a ticket - the Byelaw does not refer to a "valid" ticket but the TOCs often imply that it does - or under section 5(3)(a) of the Regulation of Railways Act 1889. The latter is the one I'd be most concerned about, as it's about travelling without previously having paid the fare (which is the case here), with intent to avoid payment.

It could be alleged that selecting a Railcard which the OP didn't have, and only buying the necessary Railcard when challenged, amounted to intent to avoid payment. The question would then be whether the OP could convince the Court that they genuinely misunderstood the requirement to buy a Railcard.