Received caution after mistakenly using Gold Card discount

[VB 20262026]

Hi all,

I am new to this forum.

I'm looking for some advice regarding a incident today involving Southern Railway.

Yesterday I purchased a ticket through a third-party app for travel from London Blackfriars to Gatwick Airport. During the booking process I selected a Gold Card discount because I mistakenly believe that my staff travel pass gave me entitlement to the same discount.

Today, after arriving at Gatwick Airport and passing through the ticket barriers, I was stopped by Southern revenue protection staff and asked to produce my Gold Card. I showed them my staff travel pass and explained that I believed it provided the relevant discount entitlement.

The inspector informed me that a Gold Card is a separate rail discount entitlement and that my staff travel pass does not qualify. I was cautioned after asked a number of questions, which I answered honestly. I explained that I had made a genuine mistake and was unaware that a Gold Card was a specific entitlement separate from my staff pass.

My details were taken and I was told that I would receive a letter and would have an opportunity to respond and provide any evidence.

For context, I purchased the ticket before travelling using my own details through a legitimate app. I did not attempt to travel without a ticket or conceal anything from the inspector. I immediately presented the staff travel pass that I genuinely believed gave me entitlement to the discount. This is the first time I have ever had an issue of this nature.

I would be grateful for any advice on what Southern is likely to do next, whether this type of case is commonly settled administratively, and how best to respond when I receive the letter.

Thank you.

 

[SECR 65]

Welcome to the forum,

There isn't much you can really do until the letter arrives, which could take several months - come back here after four months if there's still nothing. It's likely to be by post but do check your emails as well.

GTR (company that runs Southern) settle out of court in the overwhelming majority of cases. I haven't personally seen a GTR case like this before, but I'm sure forum members who have been around much longer than I have will have some experience of cases like these.

TfL treat missuse of staff travel priviledges very seriously, but I don't know that they would be involved, seeing as you were on a Southern train and stopped by a Southern member of staff. At the end of the day I suppose this boils down to 'no railcard'. That should be fairly easy to settle.

 

[AlterEgo]

First thing you need to do is talk to your union rep about the travel irregularity. As you are a member of staff this may have disciplinary consequences. Your ticket purchases may also be audited to see how many times you've claimed the same discount.

On what grounds did you think you were allowed to claim a discount from Gatwick by fudging the system to say you had a Gold Card?

 

[Hadders]

Forum members need to know exactly what sort of staff pass was being used to be able to give the correct advice.

A Gold Card discounted ticket gives a 33.4% discount, a Priv discounted is normally 75%

 

[Djgr]

First thing you need to do is talk to your union rep about the travel irregularity. As you are a member of staff this may have disciplinary consequences. Your ticket purchases may also be audited to see how many times you've claimed the same discount.

On what grounds did you think you were allowed to claim a discount from Gatwick by fudging the system to say you had a Gold Card?

Is your staff pass gold?

 

[saismee]

Forum members need to know exactly what sort of staff pass was being used to be able to give the correct advice.

A Gold Card discounted ticket gives a 33.4% discount, a Priv discounted is normally 75%

It would depend on the type of ticket as well. I think that would be an extremely stingy RPI to issue a witness statement for a  lower discount. On an Advance it would be quite a different story, however.

 

[Hadders]

It would depend on the type of ticket as well. I think that would be an extremely stingy RPI to issue a witness statement for a  lower discount. On an Advance it would be quite a different story, however.

You can't get a Gold Card discount on an Advance ticket.

 

[Haywain]

Forum members need to know exactly what sort of staff pass was being used to be able to give the correct advice.

I wonder if this was a Gatwick Airport staff pass which, IIRC, gives a discount on some National Rail services to and from Gatwick for local journeys?

 

[saismee]

You can't get a Gold Card discount on an Advance ticket.

Didn't know that! Seems very arbitrary, but most things are in this industry.

 

[AlterEgo]

I wonder if this was a Gatwick Airport staff pass which, IIRC, gives a discount on some National Rail services to and from Gatwick for local journeys?

That does seem more likely than a TfL staff pass or similar. We've had a case before on here I think.

 

[VB 20262026]

Apologies for not responding to previous messages. I am still feeling a bit shaken from the incident. I have a tfl staff pass which is an oyster card. Just to be clear I did not use it to enter or exit the national rail service. I bought an off peak return from London Blackfriars to Gatwick and applied a gold card discount because I mistakenly believe that since I have an oyster card I can receive the same discount as the gold card discount. As advised by the inspector these are two separate cards, so essentially the rail card applied to the ticket was invalid. I have explained all of this but was still caution and asked to wait to hear from Southern in the post.

 

[AlterEgo]

Have you spoken to your union rep? Under what circumstances did you think your TfL staff pass gave you a Gold Card discount?

 

[Haywain]

applied a gold card discount because I mistakenly believe that since I have an oyster card I can receive the same discount as the gold card discount

Would it be correct to think that you will have done this on other occasions?

 

[VB 20262026]

Would it be correct to think that you will have done this on other occasions?

It is possible, but I do not often use national rail services and really cannot remember.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 5 Jun 2026 ==

Have you spoken to your union rep? Under what circumstances did you think your TfL staff pass gave you a Gold Card discount?

I am in the process of doing this, upon checking on staff travel. There is no discounts on national rail services using my staff oyster. It said my card can be used on some Tramlink services but the train from Blackfriars was Thameslink. I am really not sure how I have mixed these up and made such a silly error in judgement.

 

[Mawkie]

It said my card can be used on some Tramlink services but the train from Blackfriars was Thameslink.

For next time, TfL Staff Oyster passes are valid between Kentish Town and Elephant and Castle on Thameslink.

 

[Haywain]

For next time, TfL Staff Oyster passes are valid between Kentish Town and Elephant and Castle on Thameslink.

Some, not necessarily all.

 

[gray1404]

Hopefully this is just dealt with as a unable to produce railcard matter and the person's employments and employer will not be brought into it.

 

[Mattplans]

I think that's all it will be. GTR almost always offer settlements and there's nothing to suggest it will be taken any further

 

[VB 20262026]

Hi Everyone,

Does anyone know how long is the wait to hear from Thameslink?

I have been waiting since the 2nd June.

Thanks

 

[Fawkes Cat]

Hi Everyone,

Does anyone know how long is the wait to hear from Thameslink?

I have been waiting since the 2nd June.

Thanks

In practical terms, the railway has up to 6 months to write to you, because after that time they can't prosecute you in the magistrates' court. in your specific circumstances where a holder of a staff pass has made a ticketing error, I've no difficulty imagining that the railway may be at the longer end of the timing - it seems to me that they might want to talk to your employer before writing to you.

So at this stage, all you can do is wait.

 

[SECR 65]

Hi Everyone,

Does anyone know how long is the wait to hear from Thameslink?

I have been waiting since the 2nd June.

Thanks

I would take a stab in the dark guess at 4-5 months.