Caught short-faring from Brighton to Farringdon - Advice Needed

[AlessandroRicc]

Hello,

I was recently caught short-faring on a journey from Brighton to Farringdon. I had purchased a ticket from Preston Park to Farringdon rather than from Brighton, where I actually started my journey.

Firstly, I know how stupid and dishonest this was, and I fully regret doing it. Being caught has caused me a huge amount of anxiety, and I would never consider doing anything like this again. I'm not trying to make excuses for what I did – I know I should have paid the correct fare.

For some additional context, I changed jobs in February and since then I have generally only been commuting to Brighton around once a week, sometimes less frequently. I went through my purchase history to try to understand the full extent of this and, including both outward and return journeys, I counted approximately 40 tickets in total where I appear to have short-fared.

I'm extremely worried about what happens next, particularly the possibility of prosecution and receiving a criminal record. I would really like to resolve this outside of court and am prepared to cooperate fully and pay the outstanding fares and any reasonable administrative costs.

Has anyone dealt with a similar situation involving this number of journeys? In particular:

• How likely is the train company to investigate my previous journeys/purchase history?
• Does the fact that there are approximately 40 tickets make an out-of-court settlement significantly less likely?
• If they contact me asking for an explanation, what is the best way to approach my response?
• Should I wait until I receive correspondence from them before doing anything, or would it be sensible to speak to a solicitor now?
• If they do agree to settle, does anyone have an idea of approximately how much I could be expected to pay given the number of journeys involved?

I appreciate that nobody can guarantee the outcome. I'm mainly looking for advice from people familiar with UK rail fare-evasion cases or who have been through something similar.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[WesternLancer]

Hello,

I was recently caught short-faring on a journey from Brighton to Farringdon. I had purchased a ticket from Preston Park to Farringdon rather than from Brighton, where I actually started my journey.

welcome

Have you got this correct? I would assume the fares from both Brighton to Farringdon and Preston Park to Farringdon are pretty similar.

Do you mean you have been buying tickets from Brighton to Preston Park but remain on the train to Farringdon, and presumably buy another ticket to exit at Farringdon?

 

[AlessandroRicc]

Sorry Yes I mean that I purchased tickets from Brighton to Preston Park, and my intention was to go to Farringdon. And then at Farringdon station I would jump directly on the underground.

 

[WesternLancer]

Sorry Yes I mean that I purchased tickets from Brighton to Preston Park, and my intention was to go to Farringdon. And then at Farringdon station I would jump directly on the underground.

Thanks for clarifying

ref your questions, with answers based on numerous cases we see on here with GTR (Thameslink / Southern) which of course you can peruse to get a general idea

• How likely is the train company to investigate my previous journeys/purchase history?

Distinctly possible. How do you buy your tickets / who from?

• Does the fact that there are approximately 40 tickets make an out-of-court settlement significantly less likely?

Probably not - if you engage with them when they contact you and co-operate with their enquiry. We have seen worse evasion settled out of court

• If they contact me asking for an explanation, what is the best way to approach my response?

Apologise, make it clear you understand what you did was wrong and why, and seek to convince them it won't happen again

• Should I wait until I receive correspondence from them before doing anything, or would it be sensible to speak to a solicitor now?

Yes, there is no point in contacting them before they contact - which may take some time eg at least 6-8 weeks you, and you may have no need to engage a solicitor - many people resolve this sort of thing without legal help

• If they do agree to settle, does anyone have an idea of approximately how much I could be expected to pay given the number of journeys involved?

Anytime Single Fare (ie the peak price fare - looks like £31.80) for each journey with a fare evaded that they identify plus an 'admin fee' of maybe circa £150

One thing you can do to prepare for this is to use the info you have searched out on your evasion to calculate a total sum involved and start saving that up.


This general advice often given on here may help you know what to expect and how to prepare for it.

Firstly, you committed a criminal offence by travelling with an invalid ticket and railway companies are entitled to prosecute you in the Magistrates Court if they want to. The good news is they will normally offer an out of court settlement to people who co-operate with them and who haven't come to their attention before.

Next, what happens is the railway company will write to you. The letter will go to the address that you gave them / on any of your ID they checked so you need to be able to access hard copy post at that address as they often send things that way (but also check e-mail and spam). It is extremely important that you reply, and you'll only have a limited time to do so (often 14 days from the date on their communication).

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

The railway will probably offer you an out of court settlement. Expect to have to pay the cost of the fare for the journey you made at the full Anytime rate with no credit given for the invalid ticket you purchased. In addition they will charge an admin fee, typically £150. They will also audit your online ticket purchase history and if this shows you've purchased other tickets that were not valid (eg railcard discounted tickets when you did not have a valid railcard, or tickets for only part of the journey, or tickets bought after boarding the train you travelled on ) they will probably factor the cost of these journeys into the settlement offer. Depending on how many journeys you've made over the period concerned this could end up being expensive.

Settlements usually have to be paid in full within a few days of them being offered so if money is tight you might want to think about how you will raise the sum required at short notice.

 

[AlessandroRicc]

Thanks so much, I will definitely post a redacted copy of it in this thread. I can see on trainline a total of 39 tickets between Brighton to Preston Park. I buy tickets from Trainline.

Do you know where I can access Anytime fares for given routes? On Chatgpt it tell me that the anytime fair from Brighton to Farringdon is £44, isn't that a bit too expensive?

 

[srg]

Use brfares.com

 

[WesternLancer]

Thanks so much, I will definitely post a redacted copy of it in this thread. I can see on trainline a total of 39 tickets between Brighton to Preston Park. I buy tickets from Trainline.

Do you know where I can access Anytime fares for given routes? On Chatgpt it tell me that the anytime fair from Brighton to Farringdon is £44, isn't that a bit too expensive?

There are a wide range of fares and I doubt chat gpt can easily make sense of them. Maybe it added a travel card to the price. I’ve not checked back.

Anyway use the site mentioned as it generates every fare. But if that confuses you just ask here (you can post a link to every fare in BR fares iirc if it helps you clarify a particular fare you wish to post about.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

BRFares.com gives an Anytime Day Single at £31.80 - see https://www.brfares.com/!faredetail?orig=BTN&dest=ZFD&grpd=4452&rte=208&tkt=SDS. It's the railways' usual practice to seek repayment on the basis of single fares - so no discount for the part journey that you have already paid for, for holding a railcard or for buying a return ticket: if you went there and back that will be treated as a single each way.

 

[WesternLancer]

BRFares.com gives an Anytime Day Single at £31.80 - see https://www.brfares.com/!faredetail?orig=BTN&dest=ZFD&grpd=4452&rte=208&tkt=SDS. It's the railways' usual practice to seek repayment on the basis of single fares - so no discount for the part journey that you have already paid for, for holding a railcard or for buying a return ticket: if you went there and back that will be treated as a single each way.

I think the fare is the same from either Brighton or Preston Park in any case.

 

[AlessandroRicc]

Thank you so much guys, very very helpful! I'll keep you posted as to when I receive the letter.
Does it help if I make the spreadsheet which includes exactly all the fares I short fared based on trainline history?

 

[swt_passenger]

Thank you so much guys, very very helpful! I'll keep you posted as to when I receive the letter.
Does it help if I make the spreadsheet which includes exactly all the fares I short fared based on trainline history?

If it helps you get your facts in order, I’d say definitely yes. But you must not offer it to them, unless you’ve seen what they have worked out - you don’t need to tell them about anything they’ve missed.

 

[WesternLancer]

Thank you so much guys, very very helpful! I'll keep you posted as to when I receive the letter.
Does it help if I make the spreadsheet which includes exactly all the fares I short fared based on trainline history?

any such list you make is just for your own private records to have to hand - in case they ask for fares in respect for x trips then you can ask them for a list (they will usually provide this) of the trips they think you have short fared on, and you can then compare it with your own pre prepared list to check for errors for example

You probably have no need to tell them about other occasions unless they ask you about that - - but it's best to be prepared in case they do - which is reasonably likely.

Different train companies tend to have differing approaches - GTR often didn't investigate past evasion, SWR always seem to have done. GTR now seem to be doing it more commonly from the cases we see on here. I suspect the process of railway nationalisation is starting to harmonise the approach and I would imagine HM Treasury will be most keen on them maximising the sums to be obtained as they are funding the significant subsidies the railways receive...

 

[AlessandroRicc]

Great thanks!