Northern Travel incident report

[SimplyLlama]

Hello, my friend today has been stopped on a train for forgetting his smart card. The revenue officer said that he could upload it online and the case would go away. He would like to know what will happen next, paperwork attached.

 

[WesternLancer]

Hello, my friend today has been stopped on a train for forgetting his smart card. The revenue officer said that he could upload it online and the case would go away. He would like to know what will happen next, paperwork attached.

Hi. Does your friend have a valid smart card for the type of journey they were on when stopped?

 

[SimplyLlama]

Hi. Does your friend have a valid smart card for the type of journey they were on when stopped?

I believe so yes

 

[WesternLancer]

I believe so yes

What usually happens with these Travel Incident Reports is that the railway will write and say you were stopped without a valid ticket and that you are invited to explain the situation. The letter will be quite threatening in tone and will suggest they can prosecute you for travel without a valid ticket (which they can)

It is vital to receive this letter and to respond to it, apologise, explain what happened, and to ask them to resolve the matter without court action if they are threatening that.

Did you friend give accurate details / address where they can be written to - it may take a few weeks before the letter is sent, although I assume that is encrypted on the smart card so it may be that they will e-mail automatically from that info - so check spam too

They might charge for the fare at the Anytime Single rate and may also add an admin fee on top of this for looking into it / writing to you about it etc

But if the letter / e-mail etc is not replied to they will just escalate this to prosecution.

I don't know how these Northern smart cards work - but others here will know this I'm sure, but presumably if it was forgotten then it was not enacted for the travel concerned and thus no ticket was held on the journey?

However, if the smart card is a season ticket valid for use every day it may be that by responding to their letter with evidence of the smart card being valid etc they will indeed accept that and take no further action - this is why it is important to wait to hear from them

Can you clarify what type of Smart card it was? - ie is it a season ticket valid for a journey every day or a 'pay as you go' type smart card that has to be enacted at the start of a journey on the day you opt to travel

I assume it's one of these and more info and FAQs are here

The Season Ticket Smartcard

Northern | Buy Cheap Train Tickets and Check Train Times

www.northernrailway.co.uk

 

[SimplyLlama]

What usually happens with these Travel Incident Reports is that the railway will write and say you were stopped without a valid ticket and that you are invited to explain the situation. The letter will be quite threatening in tone and will suggest they can prosecute you for travel without a valid ticket (which they can)

It is vital to receive this letter and to respond to it, apologise, explain what happened, and to ask them to resolve the matter without court action if they are threatening that.

Did you friend give accurate details / address where they can be written to - it may take a few weeks before the letter is sent, although I assume that is encrypted on the smart card so it may be that they will e-mail automatically from that info - so check spam too

They might charge for the fare at the Anytime Single rate and may also add an admin fee on top of this for looking into it / writing to you about it etc

But if the letter / e-mail etc is not replied to they will just escalate this to prosecution.

I don't know how these Northern smart cards work - but others here will know this I'm sure, but presumably if it was forgotten then it was not enacted for the travel concerned and thus no ticket was held on the journey?

However, if the smart card is a season ticket valid for use every day it may be that by responding to their letter with evidence of the smart card being valid etc they will indeed accept that and take no further action - this is why it is important to wait to hear from them

Can you clarify what type of Smart card it was? - ie is it a season ticket valid for a journey every day or a 'pay as you go' type smart card that has to be enacted at the start of a journey on the day you opt to travel

I assume it's one of these and more info and FAQs are here

The Season Ticket Smartcard

Northern | Buy Cheap Train Tickets and Check Train Times

www.northernrailway.co.uk

My friend says he gave the correct details, he says it is a season ticket smart card

 

[WesternLancer]

My friend says he gave the correct details, he says it is a season ticket smart card

Thanks - I suspect it will be a case then of juts proving he has one but had forgotten it that day (not sure if they have policies for this that allow you to be 'let off' if forgotten eg once per year). I suspect if forgotten repeatedly they may want to make a charge perhaps.

Asa a general rule if you find out you have forgotten your season ticket before boarding the train it would be best to buy anew ticket, which you may then be able to apply for a refund of by subsequently proving you have a valid season ticket - but you would need to check T&Cs about that.

 

[island]

If you (because let's be honest it's not "your friend", is it) left your season ticket at home by mistake, you can have the TIR cancelled by submitting evidence of the ticket to Northern. This dispensation is available twice a year. I am sure there will be no record of your smartcard being scanned that day of course.

 

[SimplyLlama]

If you (because let's be honest it's not "your friend", is it) left your season ticket at home by mistake, you can have the TIR cancelled by submitting evidence of the ticket to Northern. This dispensation is available twice a year. I am sure there will be no record of your smartcard being scanned that day of course.

Thank you, and I hate to be a stick in the mud but it is actually my friend I am helping out!

 

[WesternLancer]

My friend says he gave the correct details, he says it is a season ticket smart card

The conditions that would apply will be the ones set out for season tickets in the National rail Conditions of Travel which you can read here

https://assets.nationalrail.co.uk/e8xgegruud3g/77fuBWp62YPSrGwBP1mNQX/5f912e6484a2dc7efbad3b4ed0c9b383/National_Rail_Conditions_of_Travel_2024.pdf

Specifically the bits about season tickets - see page 26 for example
Though I note some of this depends on how long the season ticket is valid for

For example

38. Season Ticket or Photocard Unavailable for Inspection
38.1 If you are unable to present a Season Ticket, or any photocard required with a Season
Ticket, when asked by the staff or authorised agents of a Train Company, you will be
treated as having joined a train without a valid Ticket and Condition 9 will apply.
38.2 If you possess a valid Season Ticket and/or photocard but were unable to present it
when requested because you had forgotten to carry it on that particular journey or
mislaid it, the Train Company concerned may at their discretion refund any fare or
Penalty Fare paid in accordance with Condition 9, less an administration charge not
exceeding £10.
38.3 In order to claim such a refund, you will need to provide the retailer from whom you bought
your Season Ticket with your Season Ticket (and photocard if applicable), together with
the additional Tickets you have purchased or any Penalty Fares notices.
Page 27
38.4 A maximum of two such claims will be considered in any 12-month period regardless of the number of Season Tickets bought during that time.

When your friend gets a letter from them then of course head here for advice on how to respond to it if anything is unclear