If you bought for a friend, and the friend also had a forged railcard, if GTR charge you for this fare, I would suggest you get the money back from your friend (i.e. the additional full fare charge and the original fraudulent fare).
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Potential Prosecution
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My friend has a legitimate railcard however I’m not sure that they would just take my word for it. Likewise, I’ve bought child tickets for my sister to use previously however I don’t want them thinking I have used them
Provided your friend/sister can confirm this if asked, you are perfectly entitled tell GTR this - experience shows that train companies will compromise!
Okay, once I receive my letter, will I be able to see which journeys they are charging me for so I can find the valid journeys completed?
Possibly not in the first instance, as they will be asking about the incident when you were stopped and for which you could be prosecuted, but at a later stage.
There are certainly cases on this forum where the operator has provided a list.
Letter has been received and attached. Thinking of this as a draft reply:
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing in response to your letter dated 17 February 2025 regarding the incident at Royston station on 12 November 2024.
I fully accept that I travelled without a valid ticket on this occasion and take full responsibility for my actions. I understand that I should have purchased the correct fare, and I regret my mistake. I appreciate the importance of paying the right fare and recognise the impact that fare evasion has.
Since this incident, I have ensured that I always travel with a valid 16-25 Railcard and the correct ticket. I take this matter very seriously and have learned from my mistake.
I understand that you are within your rights to take this case to court, but I would be extremely grateful for the opportunity to settle this matter directly. I am willing to pay for any journeys where I did not have the correct ticket, along with any administrative fees and a settlement charge to bring this to a resolution.
Once again, I sincerely apologise for my actions and appreciate you taking the time to consider my response. Please let me know if there is a way to resolve this without court proceedings.
Yours sincerely,
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing in response to your letter dated 17 February 2025 regarding the incident at Royston station on 12 November 2024.
I fully accept that I travelled without a valid ticket on this occasion and take full responsibility for my actions. I understand that I should have purchased the correct fare, and I regret my mistake. I appreciate the importance of paying the right fare and recognise the impact that fare evasion has.
Since this incident, I have ensured that I always travel with a valid 16-25 Railcard and the correct ticket. I take this matter very seriously and have learned from my mistake.
I understand that you are within your rights to take this case to court, but I would be extremely grateful for the opportunity to settle this matter directly. I am willing to pay for any journeys where I did not have the correct ticket, along with any administrative fees and a settlement charge to bring this to a resolution.
Once again, I sincerely apologise for my actions and appreciate you taking the time to consider my response. Please let me know if there is a way to resolve this without court proceedings.
Yours sincerely,
Skimpot flyer
Established Member
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- 1,934
Surely the person reading the two statements highlighted in bold is going to think you are not being sincere? You imply - by using ‘on this occasion’ - that it’s a one-off incident but then contradict yourself ?
It will not be in bold for the letter, they were just parts I was pointing out for the forum.
But they are somewhat contradictory, as has been pointed out.
I think your drat reply is fine, although I would tidy up the wording suggested as noted by @Skimpot flyer
Perhaps say 'I acknowledge that I travelled without a valid ticket and take full responsibility for my actions' and later on 'I am willing to pay the outstanding fare and your adinistrative costs in dealing with this matter'
Perhaps say 'I acknowledge that I travelled without a valid ticket and take full responsibility for my actions' and later on 'I am willing to pay the outstanding fare and your adinistrative costs in dealing with this matter'
Okay thank you. And that second bit will be fine despite the multiple journeys I used the railcard for?
The letter only asks you about the single incident where you were caught and you don't need to incriminate yourself. You could say fares instead of fare but I doubt it'll make much difference either way. They might carry out a search of your ticket account and include this in the settlement cost or come back to you at a later date about the other incidents although they don't always do this.
Okay how does this sound?
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing in response to your letter dated 17 February 2025 regarding the incident at Royston station on 12 November 2024.
I acknowledge that I travelled without a valid ticket and take full responsibility for my actions. I understand that I should have purchased the correct fare, and I regret my mistake. I appreciate the importance of paying the right fare and recognise the impact that fare evasion has.
Since this incident, I have ensured that I always travel with a valid 16-25 Railcard and the correct ticket. This railcard had the number 08ZMA0248089348. I take this matter very seriously and have learned from my mistake.
I understand that you are within your rights to take this case to court, but I would be extremely grateful for the opportunity to settle this matter directly. I am willing to pay the outstanding fare and your administrative costs in dealing with this matter.
Once again, I sincerely apologise for my actions and appreciate you taking the time to consider my response. Please let me know if there is a way to resolve this without court proceedings.
Yours sincerely,
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
Okay thank you. Thinking about it, they only said the offence was an invalid ticket. Is it worth leaving out leaving the railcard information out?
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
After speaking to parents, they suggested I leave out the whole railcard bit as not not incriminate myself. What do you all think?
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing in response to your letter dated 17 February 2025 regarding the incident at Royston station on 12 November 2024.
I acknowledge that I travelled without a valid ticket and take full responsibility for my actions. I understand that I should have purchased the correct fare, and I regret my mistake. I appreciate the importance of paying the right fare and recognise the impact that fare evasion has.
Since this incident, I have ensured that I always travel with a valid 16-25 Railcard and the correct ticket. This railcard had the number 08ZMA0248089348. I take this matter very seriously and have learned from my mistake.
I understand that you are within your rights to take this case to court, but I would be extremely grateful for the opportunity to settle this matter directly. I am willing to pay the outstanding fare and your administrative costs in dealing with this matter.
Once again, I sincerely apologise for my actions and appreciate you taking the time to consider my response. Please let me know if there is a way to resolve this without court proceedings.
Yours sincerely,
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
Okay thank you. Thinking about it, they only said the offence was an invalid ticket. Is it worth leaving out leaving the railcard information out?
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
After speaking to parents, they suggested I leave out the whole railcard bit as not not incriminate myself. What do you all think?
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I think the letter is fine. I don't think there's anything wrong with mentioning that you'be bought a new railcard - that's not incriinating yourself. Mentioning that you altered the out of date railcard would be incriminating.
Thats great. Would you say the above response is fine to send then?
Yes!
Thanks. Should I handwrite it in the section given or print it out? How do I go about sending it
If it was me, rather than writing in the space on their letter, I would print the letter and upload it to the link where they are asking you to upload a copy of your railcard. You could also send a hard copy of the letter in the post to their address.
Do make sure that you clearly ut your name, address and case reference number on what you send to them. Keep a copy of whayt you send as well.
Do make sure that you clearly ut your name, address and case reference number on what you send to them. Keep a copy of whayt you send as well.
Trainman40083
Established Member
Minor point, but a "Dear Sir " type letter would normally finish with "Yours faithfully ". Sincerely tends to be used when responding to a named person.
great thank you. should I post the hard copy enclosed in the letter where it asks for my response and sign? also is it advisable for 1st class tracked?
WesternLancer
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- 15,078
And keep copies of everything
WesternLancer
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Could take 4 plus weeks to hear back.
Not sure about outcome. What you were doing is towards the serious end of the spectrum because it was deliberate pre planned evasion.
But still a chance of not being prosecuted i would hope.
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