Penalty Fare never Followed up

[dlz]

I was stopped at Charing Cross 13/8/2025 for short faring, interviewed by prosecutions officer, and told they would be in touch. 2 weeks later the letter comes notifying me that they are aware of the incident. I respond by letter on the 1/9/2025, with about 15/16 days to spare untill the deadline for permitted response. I sent the letter first class tracked and the tracking showed it delivered on 4/9/2025. Followed up by mail afterwards too. No reply.

Fast forward to today - still 0 response regarding the penalty fare. It has been over 1 year. I haven’t chased further but worried this has developed into something worse and I haven’t been receiving communications. Any advice? Thanks

 

[greatkingrat]

Have you changed address since then? If you are still at the same address it seems unlikely that if you were prosecuted in your absence that you wouldn't have received any of the correspondence about the case.

 

[WesternLancer]

I was stopped at Charing Cross 13/8/2025 for short faring, interviewed by prosecutions officer, and told they would be in touch. 2 weeks later the letter comes notifying me that they are aware of the incident. I respond by letter on the 1/9/2025, with about 15/16 days to spare untill the deadline for permitted response. I sent the letter first class tracked and the tracking showed it delivered on 4/9/2025. Followed up by mail afterwards too. No reply.

Fast forward to today - still 0 response regarding the penalty fare. It has been over 1 year. I haven’t chased further but worried this has developed into something worse and I haven’t been receiving communications. Any advice? Thanks

Just to clarify this won’t involve a penalty Fare. They can only be issued at the time of the incident not after the event.

Did this involve South Eastern Trains?
We have recently seen them recently following up on old cases over a year old so you may yet hear something.
However They have missed the 6 month deadline from the incident date to bring the usual type of criminal case to court, unless they did so without you knowing due to you moving address for example.

You could contact them to ask what’s going on. But it may not necessarily be in your interests to do so.

Assuming you have them keep copies if all the letters and postal tracking information in case you yet need it.