GTR Witness statement

[dmol88]

Hi everyone.

Had an issue today and would appreciate some views.

I was travelling from Ashford to London Bridge with the correct ticket. My plan was to change at London Bridge and then use contactless to travel to St Pancras, before taking a short onward train to Alexandra Palace from King’s Cross.

Unfortunately, when I arrived at London Bridge I was rushing to catch a Thameslink train that was departing in around a minute and completely forgot to tap in. I accept this was my mistake.

I realised between London Bridge and St Pancras (around Farringdon) that I hadn’t tapped in and attempted to correct this by purchasing a ticket on Trainline. Due to poor signal and being abit flustered, I ended up purchasing a ticket from Farringdon to St Pancras rather than from London Bridge by mistake. The ticket was only able to be purchased once I arrived at St Pancras.

I appreciate how this looks and understand I boarded without a valid ticket for that part of the journey. I’m just looking for views on what the likely next steps might be and how this is normally handled.

I know I can expect to have a letter in a few months and Ive been abit paranoid this evening and have been looking through my trainline history and think there are two occasions where I’ve been traveling from Finsbury Park to harringay but have purchased a ticket at the last minute when barrier has been closed, about 2 years ago.

Thanks all in advance.

 

[WesternLancer]

Welcome. I suspect your ticket to
London was valid until at least city Thameslink if not St Pancras international even if you didn’t know that.
It will be the ticket you bought that aroused suspicion because it’s what people who evade by short faring do.

Can you upload copies of all tickets held for the entire journey so experts here can have a look at them and their actual validity as a starting point.

Maybe obscure the ticketed numbers before uploading if you can.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 Jan 2026 ==

Also did any staff stop and question you about your tickets?

If so did they take down your details or scan the tickets after you passed through a gate line at London Bridge?

 

[Hadders]

I'll let others comment on the matter at hand but contactless can be used from London Bridge to Alexander Palace and Harringay.

The most straightforward way to make a journey like that is to take Thameslink from London Bridge to Finsbury Park and change there.

 

[dmol88]

Apologies I think I accidentally cut this paragraph when reading through my post, but I was stopped at the gates at St Pancras and showed my Farringdon to St Pancras ticket. They took my details and I was given a witness statement and they said I’d get a letter in the post.

I didn’t even think about my ashford to London ticket as I assumed this was just to London Bridge but the ticket actually says London terminals so I’m assuming would have actually been valid to St Pancras anyway?

 

[z444z]

GTR always settle. You’ll be fine.

They have recently been charging admin fees as low as £50, but given that you have previous fare evasion on your account they might ask for more, up to around £150. Still, this isn’t going to be absurdly expensive.

Come back when they write to you and we can help

 

[CarrotPie]

I didn’t even think about my ashford to London ticket as I assumed this was just to London Bridge but the ticket actually says London terminals so I’m assuming would have actually been valid to St Pancras anyway?

Tickets from south of London to "London Terminals" are only valid to certain terminals, as shown in this diagram, and not to St Pancras.

 

[WesternLancer]

Tickets from south of London to "London Terminals" are only valid to certain terminals, as shown in this diagram, and not to St Pancras.

Tho i regularly get let through the barriers with tickets marked London terminals at St Pancras Thameslink barrier line when arriving from the south…

Tickets bought from staffed ticket offices where I specifically state that I need to go to St Pancras.

But that probably doesn’t help the op in a scenario where they are being actively investigated.

 

[Hadders]

Apologies I think I accidentally cut this paragraph when reading through my post, but I was stopped at the gates at St Pancras and showed my Farringdon to St Pancras ticket. They took my details and I was given a witness statement and they said I’d get a letter in the post.

I didn’t even think about my ashford to London ticket as I assumed this was just to London Bridge but the ticket actually says London terminals so I’m assuming would have actually been valid to St Pancras anyway?

We need to know the exact ticket held. Which Ashford are you talking about? I assume it's Ashford International in Kent rather than Ashford (Surrey)? if so tickets from Ashford International to London Terminals will have one of three different routeings:

Tickets routed 'not via HS1' or 'via Haywards Heath' are valid as far as City Thameslink
Tickets routed 'Plus High Speed' are valid to St Pancras

The problem is, you are required to show a valid ticket when asked and if you did have a ticket routed 'plus high speed' (which I'm guessing you didn't as if you did you would almost certainly have taken the high speed line) you didn't show it

 

[dmol88]

Ticket was indeed not via HS1 so would have been valid to city Thameslink. To be honest just feel abit stupid looking back at it but at the end of the day I didn’t have a valid ticket so all I can do is wait for a letter and go from there. Thanks for your help so far and I’ll come back when I get a letter.

Appreciate it a a lot!

 

[WesternLancer]

Ticket was indeed not via HS1 so would have been valid to city Thameslink. To be honest just feel abit stupid looking back at it but at the end of the day I didn’t have a valid ticket so all I can do is wait for a letter and go from there. Thanks for your help so far and I’ll come back when I get a letter.

Appreciate it a a lot!

Assume you gave them correct address details. If it’s Thameslink these are often posted. But watch e mail and spam.

You have a valid narrative to tell them. Keep proof of the ticket for the start of your journey as you will need to show them that to evidence your story.

 

[Haywain]

Tho i regularly get let through the barriers with tickets marked London terminals at St Pancras Thameslink barrier line when arriving from the south…

Well, one day you may find yourself being stopped and reported for potential prosecution. Or you could not use London Terminals tickets from the south to exit at St Pancras as they are not valid

 

[WesternLancer]

Well, one day you may find yourself being stopped and reported for potential prosecution.

Or you could not use London Terminals tickets from the south to exit at St Pancras as they are not valid

Yes, bit tricky when you are going to ticket offices, asking staff for a specific ticket and they are assuring you what they are selling is correct - even when you then question it....
Last time I decided to buy the ticket I firmly think is correct from a Ticket Vending Machine to try and avoid the problem.

 

[dmol88]

Hi all, haven’t posted on here since but have had a reply & a settlement offer fron GTR this last week. Just to update I used the online portal rather than posting a reply and had a settlement letter 2 working days after. Just incase that’s useful information for people going forward.

 

[WesternLancer]

Hi all, haven’t posted on here since but have had a reply & a settlement offer fron GTR this last week. Just to update I used the online portal rather than posting a reply and had a settlement letter 2 working days after. Just incase that’s useful information for people going forward.

Thanks. I think that is useful information. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Keep copies of your proof of payment and all your paperwork. Keep it long term eg over a year at least b