Gave wrong details to ticket inspector

[HS22]

I was on travelling on the Elizabeth line from Reading to Slough and was stopped by the ticket inspector at the exit gates at Slough. I had bought my ticket with the railcard option ticked but I realised my railcard had expired two weeks ago when showing the inspector. This was also my first journey using my expired railcard. When the ticket inspector asked for my details I stupidly gave the wrong address and email as I didn’t want my parents to see I had been fined. The name and DOB I gave was right. I’m unsure what to do to make sure if I do get issued a fine it does come to me. I contacted TFL customer services and they said they can’t do anything as the prosecution system is completely separate and there is no number for the prosecution helpline for TFL. I also bought a new railcard soon after.

 

[island]

Slough is operated by GWR, so it would usually be their revenue inspectors who would be there rather than TfL.

Did you receive any paperwork at all from the inspector?

 

[HS22]

Slough is operated by GWR, so it would usually be their revenue inspectors who would be there rather than TfL.

Did you receive any paperwork at all from the inspector?

Thanks for responding. Forgot to mention in my initial post but I did also contact GWR on the same day (13th October) and the customer services person took down my correct details but I’m just worried that if a letter has been issued I won’t receive it and won’t be able to pay the fine and this will get escalated. Unsure what the customer services person can even do as the letter is probably still initially sent to the wrong address? This is also the first time this happened to me so I’m not a repeat offender.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Oct 2025 ==

Thanks for responding. Forgot to mention in my initial post but I did also contact GWR on the same day (13th October) and the customer services person took down my correct details but I’m just worried that if a letter has been issued I won’t receive it and won’t be able to pay the fine and this will get escalated. Unsure what the customer services person can even do as the letter is probably still initially sent to the wrong address? This is also the first time this happened to me so I’m not a repeat offender.

I also did not receive any paperwork from the inspector. He just noted my details on a notepad and took pictures of my Trainline ticket and expired railcard

 

[WesternLancer]

It will make a significant difference if it was TfL vs if it was GWR that took your details. Do you have any way at all to know which it was.

If you want to tell either or both of them your correct address details you should do it in writing to their revenue protection departments and not rely on phoning a place in the hope an accurate message gets taken and passed over.

It’s critical that you receive correspondence about this.

Otherwise it will eventually be the court baillifs that will probably locate you and by that time it will involve a whole lot of hassle and more money to resolve.

If you want correct addresses to use let us know.

 

[HS22]

It will make a significant difference if it was TfL vs if it was GWR that took your details. Do you have any way at all to know which it was.

If you want to tell either or both of them your correct address details you should do it in writing to their revenue protection departments and not rely on phoning a place in the hope an accurate message gets taken and passed over.

It’s critical that you receive correspondence about this.

Otherwise it will eventually be the court baillifs that will probably locate you and by that time it will involve a whole lot of hassle and more money to resolve.

If you want correct addresses to use let us know.

One of the other members said slough station is run by GWR, so most likely it was them? I can try post a letter but I’m concerned it’s too late for that and the fine letters will be sent to the wrong address by the time they read my letter? The incident happened on 13th oct so it has been exactly a week. I’m not sure how long letters take to arrive from the incident date. I’m also wondering, am I likely to even get a fine in the first place considering it was my first time and i had only taken one train since expiry of the railcard? I understand I should still try my best to get the correspondence but wanted to get your thoughts if I’m likely to be fined?

 

[WesternLancer]

One of the other members said slough station is run by GWR, so most likely it was them? I can try post a letter but I’m concerned it’s too late for that and the fine letters will be sent to the wrong address by the time they read my letter? The incident happened on 13th oct so it has been exactly a week. I’m not sure how long letters take to arrive from the incident date. I’m also wondering, am I likely to even get a fine in the first place considering it was my first time and i had only taken one train since expiry of the railcard? I understand I should still try my best to get the correspondence but wanted to get your thoughts if I’m likely to be fined?

Have a look at other threads with GWR. They won’t be fine letters. You would typically be sent a letter asking to explain what happened etc. you are not going to be sent a request for a Penalty Fare type sum like you see on the posters I suspect. It’s more likely they will want the correct fare you should have paid plus an admin fee. This might total more than a Penalty Fare however.

They can take weeks to be sent out typically eg over 4 to 6 weeks.

Have a look at the pdf version of GWRs revenue protection policy

Don’t post or e mail them anything until you get your draft wording checked here.

It just needs to be a simple letter correcting your address details at this stage.

Incidentally are you over 18 age?

Follow up post as below
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== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 Oct 2025 ==

Assuming you can not reliably obtain post from the wrong address you did give you could send something like this as below:

Clearly mark it for the attention of the Revenue Protection team

Obviously you can only give a ref number if you were handed one on the date you were stopped

It's worth you having a read of the GWR policy in full to help know what to expect - this also includes 2 e-mail addresses you could use on the last page (page 16) as well as a freepost address if you want to send this by paper.

for example
GWRProsecutions@gwr.com

https://www.gwr.com/-/media/gwr-sc-website/files/revenue-protection-policy/GWR-Revenue-Protection-Policy-January-2023.pdf

If you think there is a chance that it may have been TfL staff who stopped and questioned you then you could also write the same to them (I expect someone here will have the TfL contact address / e-mail that can be shared)

Possible draft below
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For the attention of the Revenue Protection Team


Dear Sir/ Madam

I was stopped on x date at y location and questioned about the validity of my rail ticket after it was noticed that my Railcard had expired (I had not previously noticed this expiry for which I apologise).

I was given this ref number xxxxx

Unfortunately I did not give the correct address and I would like to apologise for this.

So that you can find any record of this the address I gave was: xxxxx

Please note my correct name and address is : xxxx

I can also be contacted by e-mail at this e-mail address:

My date of birth (as given to the inspector) is: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I would be grateful if any correspondence relating to this matter can be sent to the correct address so that I can attend to it promptly.

Yours faithfully

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[HS22]

omg thanks so much ur a life saver, really appreciate this!! I will email them as soon as possible and I will get the tfl contact details too just in case.

 

[WesternLancer]

I’ve seen a TfL revenue team e mail address on this forum.