No railcard - my mistake - advice required.

[Biscuit01]

Hi All,
I hope all is well with you and yours.

First time poster here and hoping for your assistance to help remedy this situ.

I’m looking for advice on appealing a £100 Penalty Fare issued to my wife (a Canadian visitor) on 18 Feb 2026 for travel from NMP to London Euston. We had travelled together a few days earlier without issue.

On the day in question, I was unexpectedly unwell, so she had to travel alone to complete some errands as she'd be flying off soon.

We believed she had a valid ticket (based on how we’d travelled together previously), but didn’t realise the fare required my presence. She was issued a £100 penalty and had to buy another ticket (£20.60). As soon as I found out, I also bought an additional return ticket to the one she already had since it appears the prior was cancelled, also purchased a Railcard to ensure everything was compliant that she won't use since is in Canada. In total, we’ve paid over £150+ for the journey, as it stands, this fine is all additional.

There was no intent to avoid payment, this was a genuine misunderstanding by a visitor unfamiliar with the UK rail system. She has now returned to Canada. I’ve submitted an appeal explaining this and provided evidence (tickets, Railcard, boarding pass), but I’d appreciate any advice on:

I've still not heard from my appeal outlining the above.
I just received a letter citing we need to pay the £100 + fees, since we did not pay the original within 21 days and this will increase if we don't pay.
I had sent an appeal via letter, then I sent it again via special delivery since I didn't get acknowledgement on the the prior and this provides me proof of submission.

Do I wait till I hear acknowledgement or just pay for now till I hear back, since this seems to be increasing as time passes?

Thanks, in advance.

 

[AlterEgo]

What ticket did she attempt I travel on? Did you discount it with a Two Together Railcard? On what grounds did you appeal the penalty fare? It is normally required to demonstrate that the penalty fare was unlawful to get it overturned.

Please upload a copy of the notice with her details redacted.

If you do not appeal within the 21 days the penalty fare becomes payable and you have effectively waived your right to appeal. No appeal will be considered outside this time unless there is some exceptional reason for your delay in doing so. You may wish to send proof of postage if looking to appeal once more. And of course, appealing by post is fraught with this danger. Just appeal online - it is simpler!

 

[Biscuit01]

Thanks AlterEgo for getting back.

Sure, it’s:
- Open return ticket
- Network Railcard
- Appealed upon no intent for non-payment and described she is an overseas visitor, had a ticket in hand, and provided actions taken for consideration
- Thanks, you’re right, I guess I’m too old school where such matters are dealt in written correspondence where I see an address to appeal, with hindsight should have just done online as you suggest.
I’ll be back home shortly and will update with the needful (hopefully find it)

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Mar 2026 ==

Also, would you recommend if we pay within the window prior, would this be refunded providing the appeal is successful?

 

[Gloster]

Was the Network Railcard in your name or hers?

 

[Haywain]

Appealed upon no intent for non-payment and described she is an overseas visitor, had a ticket in hand, and provided actions taken for consideration

This is not a valid reason for a Penalty Fare Notice (PFN) to be quashed. The PFN does not make any judgement of intent, it simply is issued because a valid ticket was not presented.

 

[MarlowDonkey]

Sure, it’s:
- Open return ticket
- Network Railcard

The Network Railcard is personal to the holder. If you bought and used two discounted tickets on the basis of one Railcard, you were lucky to get away with it on that occasion.

 

[AlterEgo]

The Network Railcard is personal to the holder. If you bought and used two discounted tickets on the basis of one Railcard, you were lucky to get away with it on that occasion.

Wrong.

“With your Network Railcard, you can take up to 3 adults with you and they also get up to 1/3 off their fare.”

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Mar 2026 ==

Thanks AlterEgo for getting back.

Sure, it’s:
- Open return ticket
- Network Railcard
- Appealed upon no intent for non-payment and described she is an overseas visitor, had a ticket in hand, and provided actions taken for consideration

None of these would be grounds to cancel a penalty fare I’m afraid. Once we see the notice we can see if the penalty fare was issued in a lawful and procedurally correct way.

Also, would you recommend if we pay within the window prior, would this be refunded providing the appeal is successful?

It would be refunded but there is no benefit to paying at this stage in my view.

 

[Biscuit01]

Wrong.

“With your Network Railcard, you can take up to 3 adults with you and they also get up to 1/3 off their fare.”

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Mar 2026 ==


None of these would be grounds to cancel a penalty fare I’m afraid. Once we see the notice we can see if the penalty fare was issued in a lawful and procedurally correct way.


It would be refunded but there is no benefit to paying at this stage in my view.

Thanks AlterEgo. Absolutely, I’ll get back to you shortly ref the slip as have till midnight today prior this increasing, appreciate this.

I was thinking the same but wouldn’t this just keep increasing until I hear they’ve acknowledged?

 

[saismee]

- Open return ticket

This isn't actually a ticket type, just an option on most retailers which gives a range of return tickets with flexible or semi-flexible return periods.

I was thinking the same but wouldn’t this just keep increasing until I hear they’ve acknowledged?

The price is locked if you pay, but you retain your right to appeal and will be refunded if your appeal is successful. I'd suggest paying the PFN now just in case.

 

[WesternLancer]

I would also pay now to secure the reduced penalty sum. Ie asap before midnight.

Then help from here, if it finds a successful appeal route at any of the stages will secure a refund of what you have paid.
You won’t want to lose the £50 discount on the penalty by paying later if you can still secure that.

 

[Biscuit01]

Thanks AlterEgo. Absolutely, I’ll get back to you shortly ref the slip as have till midnight today prior this increasing, appreciate this.

I was thinking the same but wouldn’t this just keep increasing until I hear they’ve acknowledged

Wrong.

“With your Network Railcard, you can take up to 3 adults with you and they also get up to 1/3 off their fare.”

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Mar 2026 ==


None of these would be grounds to cancel a penalty fare I’m afraid. Once we see the notice we can see if the penalty fare was issued in a lawful and procedurally correct way.


It would be refunded but there is no benefit to paying at this stage in my view.

Hi AlterEgo.

Hi AlterEgo/all,

Please find attached the penalty notice

Look forward to hearing from you,
Thanks!

 

[z444z]

Normally I'd say there's no point paying just to have it refunded, hold onto your money! But unless you strongly wish to leave open the somewhat risky route of refusing to pay despite having had all three appeals rejected and letting them take it to court where the court will make the final decision (note that withdrawal of the penalty fare followed by criminal prosecution cannot be ruled out if this approach is taken), given how little time is left on the clock I think paying now to secure the discount would be sensible.

We need to know which train this penalty fare was issued on.

If the 11:48, the penalty fare has been issued incorrectly because the £20.60 fare (note this occurred during a previous fares period, I've used brfares.com to check the fares at the time) is the Super Off-Peak fare, which would not have been valid on the 11:48 because it's "VALID ARRIVING LOND EUSTON AFTER 1259 MON-SAT" and the 11:48 was scheduled to arrive 12:50. This might not be an easy appeal because your argument is that you should have been charged MORE money, but at the end of the day the penalty fare was issued incorrectly, and the law does say penalty fare appeals must succeed if the regulations haven't been complied with, so it's definitely worth a try.

If the 12:08, the penalty fare may have been issued incorrectly because at the time of issue, 12:35, the next scheduled stop was Bletchley, and unless the passenger requests otherwise the regulations require the penalty fare to be calculated from the boarding station to the next scheduled stop, so it should have been the £15 fare to Bletchley instead. This also might not be an easy appeal because the appeals panel like to completely ignore the law.

Either way I can suggest wording for you to use, let me know which train it was

 

[Biscuit01]

Normally I'd say there's no point paying just to have it refunded, hold onto your money! But unless you strongly wish to leave open the somewhat risky route of refusing to pay despite having had all three appeals rejected and letting them take it to court where the court will make the final decision (note that withdrawal of the penalty fare followed by criminal prosecution cannot be ruled out if this approach is taken), given how little time is left on the clock I think paying now to secure the discount would be sensible.

We need to know which train this penalty fare was issued on.

If the 11:48, the penalty fare has been issued incorrectly because the £20.60 fare (note this occurred during a previous fares period, I've used brfares.com to check the fares at the time) is the Super Off-Peak fare, which would not have been valid on the 11:48 because it's "VALID ARRIVING LOND EUSTON AFTER 1259 MON-SAT" and the 11:48 was scheduled to arrive 12:50. This might not be an easy appeal because your argument is that you should have been charged MORE money, but at the end of the day the penalty fare was issued incorrectly, and the law does say penalty fare appeals must succeed if the regulations haven't been complied with, so it's definitely worth a try.

If the 12:08, the penalty fare may have been issued incorrectly because at the time of issue, 12:35, the next scheduled stop was Bletchley, and unless the passenger requests otherwise the regulations require the penalty fare to be calculated from the boarding station to the next scheduled stop, so it should have been the £15 fare to Bletchley instead. This also might not be an easy appeal because the appeals panel like to completely ignore the law.

Either way I can suggest wording for you to use, let me know which train it was

Thanks z444z, I have been offline due to personal reasons and now playing catch-up, whilst the appeal is under review, I noted your comment above.
It was the 11:48 one. Would appreciate your wording for the follow-up.

Thanks

 

[WesternLancer]

Thanks z444z, I have been offline due to personal reasons and now playing catch-up, whilst the appeal is under review, I noted your comment above.
It was the 11:48 one. Would appreciate your wording for the follow-up.

Thanks

Is your Penalty Fare appeal process still in progress?

Which stage of the Appeal process are youy now at?

I've not plotted any Penalty Fare Appeal timescales, but I would have thought it might have been responded to and concluded by now. Is this not the case?

There are time limits in which you have to appeal and respond, as well as time limits I thought they (the Penalty Fares appeal body) have to reply by - not sure what the latter of those timescales are however.