Fare Evasion

[aliawan007]

Hi all,





I’m looking for some advice regarding a Notice of Intention to Prosecute I’ve received from Govia Thameslink Railway.





The incident took place on 20 November 2025 at Gatwick Airport station, where I was stopped by a Revenue Protection Officer. It was identified that I did not have a valid ticket for my full journey.





My actual journey was from Selhurst to Gatwick Airport. I did purchase a ticket, however it was for incorrect stations (Horley to Gatwick Airport), which was a mistake on my part.





At the time, I gave wrong explanation to the officer to justify my ticket. That I took train from Horley to East Croydon and from there I board on the train to Gatwick. I accept that this was not appropriate. I was under significant stress that day as I had missed a morning flight and was trying to arrange alternative travel, which affected how I handled the situation.





I have now received a Notice of Intention to Prosecute (dated 19 March 2026), giving me 14 days to respond with my version of events.





This is my first offence, and I have no previous history of fare evasion or any criminal record.





I intend to respond honestly, accept responsibility for the incorrect ticket, and request an out-of-court settlement to avoid prosecution. I can also provide supporting evidence, including:

• The ticket purchased (incorrect stations)
• Flight booking records showing the travel disruption on that day

I would really appreciate advice on:

1. Whether this is likely to be settled out of court
2. Whether acknowledging the situation as above is the best approach
3. Any risks I should be aware of given the explanation I gave at the time

 

[walkingsophie]

Here's common advice given in this forums that should answer your questions:

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.

 

[srg]

As far as I understand it, GTR are usually reasonable about out of court settlements.

But it is very important you are truthful in your reply - so don't say things in your reply which are untrue, for example:
- Are you sure the wrong ticket was a "mistake" - ie not deliberate/an error of judgement
- You say it was your first offence - by this do you mean it is the first time you have been caught or have you done it before

Probably wise for you to post your draft response to this thread and people can give advice/suggest amendments

 

[WesternLancer]

Hi all,





I’m looking for some advice regarding a Notice of Intention to Prosecute I’ve received from Govia Thameslink Railway.





The incident took place on 20 November 2025 at Gatwick Airport station, where I was stopped by a Revenue Protection Officer. It was identified that I did not have a valid ticket for my full journey.





My actual journey was from Selhurst to Gatwick Airport. I did purchase a ticket, however it was for incorrect stations (Horley to Gatwick Airport), which was a mistake on my part.





At the time, I gave wrong explanation to the officer to justify my ticket. That I took train from Horley to East Croydon and from there I board on the train to Gatwick. I accept that this was not appropriate. I was under significant stress that day as I had missed a morning flight and was trying to arrange alternative travel, which affected how I handled the situation.





I have now received a Notice of Intention to Prosecute (dated 19 March 2026), giving me 14 days to respond with my version of events.





This is my first offence, and I have no previous history of fare evasion or any criminal record.





I intend to respond honestly, accept responsibility for the incorrect ticket, and request an out-of-court settlement to avoid prosecution. I can also provide supporting evidence, including:

• The ticket purchased (incorrect stations)
• Flight booking records showing the travel disruption on that day

I would really appreciate advice on:

1. Whether this is likely to be settled out of court
2. Whether acknowledging the situation as above is the best approach
3. Any risks I should be aware of given the explanation I gave at the time

Pretty bad luck that the flight disruption meant that mistakenly you bought a ticket that was just one stop from your destination at Gatwick and not from your actual origin station, or indeed another station en route before the penultimate one. Hopefully at least your flight ticket was to the actual destination you intended to fly to.

As the saying goes 'I believe you, thousands wouldn't'.....

so to be frank that is just going to look like deliberate evasion to them so I wouldn't bother going down the dog ate my homework excuse here.

To answer your specific questions - if you follow the advice given in post #2

1. Whether this is likely to be settled out of court

Yes, very good prospects of you achieving that outcome if you use the forum advice - and see other threads

2. Whether acknowledging the situation as above is the best approach

Well you need to apologise for not having a valid ticket for your full journey and make it clear to them it won't happen again but I doubt the excuse about the cancelled flight will wash so I probably would not get into that

3. Any risks I should be aware of given the explanation I gave at the time

That they will probably (but it might not be guaranteed) audit your past ticket buying to look for other examples of things that might look suspicious to them - so in whatever you write don't state anything that might be a lie etc

 

[aliawan007]

I have received a Notice of Intention to Prosecute from Govia Thameslink Railway.





The letter states that on 20 November 2025 at around 16:07, my details were recorded by a member of the Revenue Protection Team at/near Gatwick Airport railway station.





It says they intend to take the case to the Magistrates’ Court, but are giving me the opportunity to provide my version of events before making a final decision.





The alleged offence is that I entered a train for the purpose of travelling on the railway without holding a valid ticket entitling me to travel.





The letter also states that any ticket or railcard should have been purchased before boarding the train for it to be considered valid.





It mentions that if they proceed with prosecution, penalties could include:

• A criminal record
• A fine of up to £1,000
• Compensation
• Costs

It also notes that aggravating factors (such as repeat offences) could lead to more serious outcomes.





I have been asked to respond within 14 days with a factual and honest explanation of what happened.


I’m looking to reply them with this:


Thank you for your letter dated 19 March 2026 and for providing me with the opportunity to respond. I am writing within the required 14-day period.





I sincerely apologise for this matter and accept full responsibility for travelling without a valid ticket for my journey on 20 November 2025.





I would like to provide a full and honest account. My journey on that day was from Selhurst to Gatwick Airport. I did purchase a rail ticket, as evidenced by the enclosed ticket, however it was for incorrect stations. This was a genuine mistake, and in trying to explain the situation at the time, I may not have provided a fully accurate account.





I would also like to clarify the circumstances further. On that day, I had missed my scheduled morning flight and was dealing with significant travel disruption, which caused me considerable stress. As a result, I did not respond as clearly as I should have at the time, and I regret this.





This is an isolated incident, and I have no previous history of rail offences. I take this matter seriously and can assure you that it will not happen again.





I respectfully request that you consider allowing me to resolve this matter by way of an administrative settlement rather than pursuing court proceedings. I am willing to pay any outstanding fare along with any reasonable administrative costs incurred.





I enclose the following supporting documents:

1. Copy of rail ticket purchased on 20 November 2025
2. Flight booking records confirming travel disruption on that date

Thank you for your time and consideration. I would be grateful for the opportunity to resolve this matter without the need for further action.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

I have received a Notice of Intention to Prosecute from Govia Thameslink Railway.





The letter states that on 20 November 2025 at around 16:07, my details were recorded by a member of the Revenue Protection Team at/near Gatwick Airport railway station.





It says they intend to take the case to the Magistrates’ Court, but are giving me the opportunity to provide my version of events before making a final decision.





The alleged offence is that I entered a train for the purpose of travelling on the railway without holding a valid ticket entitling me to travel.





The letter also states that any ticket or railcard should have been purchased before boarding the train for it to be considered valid.





It mentions that if they proceed with prosecution, penalties could include:

• A criminal record
• A fine of up to £1,000
• Compensation
• Costs

It also notes that aggravating factors (such as repeat offences) could lead to more serious outcomes.





I have been asked to respond within 14 days with a factual and honest explanation of what happened.


I’m looking to reply them with this:


Thank you for your letter dated 19 March 2026 and for providing me with the opportunity to respond. I am writing within the required 14-day period.





I sincerely apologise for this matter and accept full responsibility for travelling without a valid ticket for my journey on 20 November 2025.





I would like to provide a full and honest account. My journey on that day was from Selhurst to Gatwick Airport. I did purchase a rail ticket, as evidenced by the enclosed ticket, however it was for incorrect stations. This was a genuine mistake, and in trying to explain the situation at the time, I may not have provided a fully accurate account.





I would also like to clarify the circumstances further. On that day, I had missed my scheduled morning flight and was dealing with significant travel disruption, which caused me considerable stress. As a result, I did not respond as clearly as I should have at the time, and I regret this.





This is an isolated incident, and I have no previous history of rail offences. I take this matter seriously and can assure you that it will not happen again.





I respectfully request that you consider allowing me to resolve this matter by way of an administrative settlement rather than pursuing court proceedings. I am willing to pay any outstanding fare along with any reasonable administrative costs incurred.





I enclose the following supporting documents:

1. Copy of rail ticket purchased on 20 November 2025
2. Flight booking records confirming travel disruption on that date

Thank you for your time and consideration. I would be grateful for the opportunity to resolve this matter without the need for further action.

I think that your response will have the desired effect, and GTR will let you settle, in that what they're interested in is getting the fare that you should have paid, and being reassured that you won't do it again. So there's no need to change anything. But if you don't want hollow laughter from whoever reviews the letter I would suggest dropping

I am writing within the required 14-day period

because they'll be able to work that out from when they get your reply: and

I would also like to clarify the circumstances further. On that day, I had missed my scheduled morning flight and was dealing with significant travel disruption, which caused me considerable stress. As a result, I did not respond as clearly as I should have at the time, and I regret this.

Because I don't see how any amount of stress would make you think you got on a train at Horley rather than Selhurst. You might forget where you got on, but you wouldn't say the wrong station. As @WesternLancer has said, this is on a par with 'the dog ate my homework'.

And a particular dislike of mine is

I am willing to pay any outstanding fare along with any reasonable administrative costs incurred.

You might be willing to pay the price of the next moonshot, or to buy them a tuppenny stamp. But that doesn't matter. Because you want the railway to be nice to you, so you need to show that you will be grateful if they are nice to you. So you need to say something like 'I would be grateful if you would allow me to pay any outstanding fare along with any reasonable administrative costs incurred'

 

[WesternLancer]

I have been asked to respond within 14 days with a factual and honest explanation of what happened.

I’m looking to reply them with this:

Thank you for your letter dated 19 March 2026 and for providing me with the opportunity to respond. I am writing within the required 14-day period.

I sincerely apologise for this matter and accept full responsibility for travelling without a valid ticket for my journey on 20 November 2025.

I would like to provide a full and honest account. My journey on that day was from Selhurst to Gatwick Airport. I did purchase a rail ticket, as evidenced by the enclosed ticket, however it was for incorrect stations. This was a genuine mistake, and in trying to explain the situation at the time, I may not have provided a fully accurate account.

I would also like to clarify the circumstances further. On that day, I had missed my scheduled morning flight and was dealing with significant travel disruption, which caused me considerable stress. As a result, I did not respond as clearly as I should have at the time, and I regret this.

This is an isolated incident, and I have no previous history of rail offences. I take this matter seriously and can assure you that it will not happen again.

I respectfully request that you consider allowing me to resolve this matter by way of an administrative settlement rather than pursuing court proceedings. I am willing to pay any outstanding fare along with any reasonable administrative costs incurred.

I enclose the following supporting documents:

1. Copy of rail ticket purchased on 20 November 2025
2. Flight booking records confirming travel disruption on that date

Thank you for your time and consideration. I would be grateful for the opportunity to resolve this matter without the need for further action.

I think your draft should be revised.

None of the stuff about your reasons for buying the wrong ticket rings true to me and it would be best not to mention it frankly

I think you should revise this draft and focus on an apology for what happened ie not buying a valid ticket, with a promise that this won’t happen again.

Call it an error of judgment not a mistake.

 

[saismee]

I think your draft should be revised.

None of the stuff about your reasons for buying the wrong ticket rings true to me and it would be best not to mention it frankly

I think you should revise this draft and focus on an apology for what happened ie not buying a valid ticket, with a promise that this won’t happen again.

Call it an error of judgment not a mistake.

I agree. Realistically they'd prefer if you just said "I deeply regret not purchasing the correct ticket for my journey and I will ensure that I always have a valid ticket for my full journey moving forward." It being accidental or not will make no difference at all to the outcome, but sounding insincere could.

 

[WesternLancer]

A draft along these lines might be better - you could include your ticket and flight cancellation evidence but I am not sure it's necessary or will help that much for the reasons I mentioned above.
- Also remember if this is GTR your response needs to be posted hard copy so it should be signed and include your name and address
- You should post it tracked postage from a post office so that you can check and be sure it has been received

Draft for you to consider:

Dear Sir / Madam

Case Ref: [Insert their ref number]

Thank you for your letter dated 19 March 2026 and for providing me with the opportunity to respond. I am writing within the required 14-day period.

I sincerely apologise for this matter and accept full responsibility for travelling without a valid ticket for my journey on 20 November 2025.

I would like to provide a full and honest account. My journey on that day was from Selhurst to Gatwick Airport. I did purchase a rail ticket, as evidenced by the enclosed ticket, however it was for incorrect stations. This was a genuine mistake, and in trying to explain the situation at the time, I may not have provided a fully accurate account.

This was an error on my part and I deeply regret not purchasing the correct ticket for my journey and I will ensure that I always have a valid ticket for my full journey moving forward. I also now understand that I should purchase my train ticket before boarding the train.

I would also like to clarify the circumstances further. On that day, I had missed my scheduled morning flight and was dealing with significant travel disruption, which caused me considerable stress. As a result, I did not respond to the member of staff who questioned me about my train ticket as clearly as I should have at the time, and I regret this.

This is an isolated incident, and I have no previous history of rail offences. I take this matter seriously and can assure you that it will not happen again.

I would be grateful if you would allow me to pay any outstanding fare along with any reasonable administrative costs incurred, in the hope that this matter can be resolved without the need for court action.

Yours faithfully

sign and print your name



I respectfully request that you consider allowing me to resolve this matter by way of an administrative settlement rather than pursuing court proceedings. I am willing to pay any outstanding fare along with any reasonable administrative costs incurred.

I enclose the following supporting documents:

1. Copy of rail ticket purchased on 20 November 2025
2. Flight booking records confirming travel disruption on that date

 

[z444z]

I think your draft should be revised.

None of the stuff about your reasons for buying the wrong ticket rings true to me and it would be best not to mention it frankly

I think you should revise this draft and focus on an apology for what happened ie not buying a valid ticket, with a promise that this won’t happen again.

Call it an error of judgment not a mistake.

Completely agreed. They will not for a moment believe this was a mistake, and might conclude that someone still not telling the truth at this stage is a sign that they won’t learn unless prosecuted.

 

[aliawan007]

As per all your help and advise. I have come up with this final version of the draft. Hopefully it would help. One more advice, should I send a print or a hand written letter ?




Thank you for your letter dated 19 March 2026 and for providing me with the opportunity to respond.

I sincerely apologise for this matter and accept full responsibility for travelling without a valid ticket for my journey on 20 November 2025.

This was an error of judgment on my part, and I deeply regret not purchasing the correct ticket for my full journey. I will ensure that I always have a valid ticket before boarding in future.

In trying to explain the situation at the time, I may not have provided a fully accurate account, and I regret this.

This is an isolated incident, and I have no previous history of rail offences. I take this matter seriously and can assure you that it will not happen again.

I would be grateful if you would allow me to pay any outstanding fare along with any reasonable administrative costs incurred, in the hope that this matter can be resolved without the need for court action.


Yours faithfully,

 

[Fawkes Cat]

As per all your help and advise. I have come up with this final version of the draft. Hopefully it would help. One more advice, should I send a print or a hand written letter ?




Thank you for your letter dated 19 March 2026 and for providing me with the opportunity to respond.

I sincerely apologise for this matter and accept full responsibility for travelling without a valid ticket for my journey on 20 November 2025.

This was an error of judgment on my part, and I deeply regret not purchasing the correct ticket for my full journey. I will ensure that I always have a valid ticket before boarding in future.

In trying to explain the situation at the time, I may not have provided a fully accurate account, and I regret this.

This is an isolated incident, and I have no previous history of rail offences. I take this matter seriously and can assure you that it will not happen again.

I would be grateful if you would allow me to pay any outstanding fare along with any reasonable administrative costs incurred, in the hope that this matter can be resolved without the need for court actiOtherwise, it's best to print the letteron.


Yours faithfully,

I think that's much better. The one outstanding point is whether this really is an isolated incident., and you have no previous history of offences. Bear in mind that now that the railway know you have fare dodged once, they could go back through records to see if you had done it before. And if you had done it before then those would be offences too - it's fare dodging that is wrong, not getting caught doing it.

But we don't need the answer to this point: what matters is that the letter is accurate and the railway don't think you are lying. So don't tell us but make sure the letter is all true.

Otherwise it's best to print the letter. I deal with something similar in my non-railway job, and any added sympathy I have for a sincere handwritten letter is far outweighed by the frustration from the difficulty of reading manuscript against typeface.

 

[WesternLancer]

As per all your help and advise. I have come up with this final version of the draft. Hopefully it would help. One more advice, should I send a print or a hand written letter ?




Thank you for your letter dated 19 March 2026 and for providing me with the opportunity to respond.

I sincerely apologise for this matter and accept full responsibility for travelling without a valid ticket for my journey on 20 November 2025.

This was an error of judgment on my part, and I deeply regret not purchasing the correct ticket for my full journey. I will ensure that I always have a valid ticket before boarding in future.

In trying to explain the situation at the time, I may not have provided a fully accurate account, and I regret this.

This is an isolated incident, and I have no previous history of rail offences. I take this matter seriously and can assure you that it will not happen again.

I would be grateful if you would allow me to pay any outstanding fare along with any reasonable administrative costs incurred, in the hope that this matter can be resolved without the need for court action.


Yours faithfully,

Looking good so long as it’s true.

If you type and print it make sure it’s got your ref and address on it and sign it by hand.
On the other stuff write ‘please see attached’ so if it gets separated in their office they know there were more pages.

Keep a copy of every page you send.

As above send it tracked postage from a post office. Keep a record of the tracking.

 

[z444z]

This is an isolated incident, and I have no previous history of rail offences. I take this matter seriously and can assure you that it will not happen again.

As others have mentioned, if this is not the truth you should remove it. You'll get a settlement without it, but if you keep it in and they find out you have done this before, they could decide someone still lying at this stage doesn't deserve to be let off.

I would be grateful if you would allow me to pay any outstanding fare along with any reasonable administrative costs incurred, in the hope that this matter can be resolved without the need for court action.

This is a bit too indirect imo, make it as clear as possible what you want. I've put my suggested wording below for you.

I would be grateful if you would be willing to settle this matter without the need for court action. I am prepared to pay any outstanding fare along with any administrative costs incurred.

 

[Starmill]

This is a bit too indirect imo, make it as clear as possible what you want. I've put my suggested wording below for you.

I can see why they reworded it this way, though, given the way Fawkes Cat gave their advice on this line above!

My view is that this distinction isn't important, and either would be OK. The meaning of what the person sending the letter actually wants is clear regardless of if it's worded more in the way you've written it or more in the way Fawkes Cat would have written it. So perhaps the OP can just use whichever form of words feels better to them.

 

[z444z]

I can see why they reworded it this way, though, given the way Fawkes Cat gave their advice on this line above!

My view is that this distinction isn't important, and either would be OK. The meaning of what the person sending the letter actually wants is clear regardless of if it's worded more in the way you've written it or more in the way Fawkes Cat would have written it. So perhaps the OP can just use whichever form of words feels better to them.

Fair enough. It's just that what the OP wrote means they're happy to pay an amount with no guarantee it actually settles the matter which 1. presumably isn't actually their desired outcome and 2. isn't how this process generally works. You're right that point 2 means it won't make any difference and GTR will follow their standard processes, but may as well ask for what you actually want imo!

 

[Haywain]

My view is that this distinction isn't important, and either would be OK.

Agreed.