Report for Prosecution Likely Outcome?

[TadisOrTads]

I was travelling from West Byfleet to Guildford and tried to buy my ticket on my phone before boarding. The signal was really bad and the purchase didn’t go through in time. The train left at 08:03, and while I was speaking to the first member of staff on board, the ticket was still processing, he walked away saying nothing then he brought revenue protection to me. It finally went through at 08:04 (one minute after departure) and I showed it straight away, but the Revenue Protection Inspector said it was too late to accept as it had been bought after the train left.

I fully cooperated, gave my details, and the inspector even checked my app and said I normally buy tickets. I genuinely wasn’t trying to dodge the fare — it was a mistake.

What will most likely be my outcome?, I am really stressed about this and I want to avoid court or anything on my record.

Please note this happened this morning and I know I am to receive a letter or email from SWR for this. I wanted to ask you guys for my nerves.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Feb 2026 ==

Will i be prosecuted on my first letter, or is a out of court settlement most likely? I cant afford a criminal record.

 

[z444z]

This is an unfortunate sequence of events if what you’ve said is true but it is a criminal offence to board a train without a valid ticket in most circumstances and you could be prosecuted.

That being said, SWR are generally happy to settle as long as you co-operate. It’ll likely cost £150 admin fee plus the full undiscounted Anytime fare which for your journey is £6.50. They may review your ticket purchasing history and add on other suspicious purchases if there are any.

Just need to wait for them to get in touch - SWR often use email for initial contact but keep an eye on the post too - then come back for help

 

[WesternLancer]

I was travelling from West Byfleet to Guildford and tried to buy my ticket on my phone before boarding. The signal was really bad and the purchase didn’t go through in time. The train left at 08:03, and while I was speaking to the first member of staff on board, the ticket was still processing, he walked away saying nothing then he brought revenue protection to me. It finally went through at 08:04 (one minute after departure) and I showed it straight away, but the Revenue Protection Inspector said it was too late to accept as it had been bought after the train left.

I fully cooperated, gave my details, and the inspector even checked my app and said I normally buy tickets. I genuinely wasn’t trying to dodge the fare — it was a mistake.

What will most likely be my outcome?, I am really stressed about this and I want to avoid court or anything on my record.

Please note this happened this morning and I know I am to receive a letter or email from SWR for this. I wanted to ask you guys for my nerves.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Feb 2026 ==

Will i be prosecuted on my first letter, or is a out of court settlement most likely? I cant afford a criminal record.

welcome - you are generally required to have a ticket before you board a trains (tho you are not forced to buy one on your phone but if an open ticket office or ticket machine in working order was at the station you are required to use it - and leave enough time to use it if you are in a hurry.

In terms of what to expect this general advice given on this forum that I have copied below will help you know what to expect and in due course what to do about it - it may be some weeks before you hear from them so ask any questions you wish here in the mean time - and have a look at a few other threads involving SWR too:


Firstly, you committed a criminal offence by travelling with an invalid ticket and railway companies are entitled to prosecute you in the Magistrates Court if they want to. The good news is they will normally offer an out of court settlement to people who co-operate with them and who haven't come to their attention before.

Next, what happens is the railway company will write to you. The letter will go to the address that you gave them / on any of your ID they checked so you need to be able to access hard copy post at that address as they often send things that way (but also check e-mail and spam). It is extremely important that you reply, and you'll only have a limited time to do so (often 14 days from the date on their communication).

When you receive the letter post a redacted copy of it in this thread, along with your draft reply and forum members will proof read it for you. You'll find lots of example letters you can use in this section of the forum but the reply basically needs to mention:

- That you are sorry for what has happened
- What you have learned from the incident and will not do this again
- That you are keen to settle the matter without the need for court action
- Offer to pay the outstanding fare and the railway company’s administrative costs in dealing with the matter

The railway will probably offer you an out of court settlement. Expect to have to pay the cost of the fare for the journey you made at the full Anytime rate with no credit given for the invalid ticket you purchased. In addition they will charge an admin fee, typically £150. They will also audit your online ticket purchase history and if this shows you've purchased other tickets that were not valid (eg railcard discounted tickets when you did not have a valid railcard, or tickets for only part of the journey, or tickets bought after boarding the train you travelled on ) they will probably factor the cost of these journeys into the settlement offer. Depending on how many journeys you've made over the period concerned this could end up being expensive.

Settlements usually have to be paid in full within a few days of them being offered so if money is tight you might want to think about how you will raise the sum required at short notice.

 

[TadisOrTads]

This is an unfortunate sequence of events if what you’ve said is true but it is a criminal offence to board a train without a valid ticket in most circumstances and you could be prosecuted.

That being said, SWR are generally happy to settle as long as you co-operate. It’ll likely cost £150 admin fee plus the full undiscounted Anytime fare which for your journey is £6.50. They may review your ticket purchasing history and add on other suspicious purchases if there are any.

Just need to wait for them to get in touch - SWR often use email for initial contact but keep an eye on the post too - then come back for help

Thank you for the words. I'm really hoping for the fine + admin fee, hopefully i avoid anything on my record at all.

I have had a £55 (£110) fine prior due to my railcard being expired for one day (I broke my ankle and forgot while I was off work).
Will they be aware of this as it wasn't the prosecution team that dealt with me last time but I assume my name/address will be attached to it.

Regarding my ticket history does it matter which app, I only use TrainPal can they check that? I see people usually say Trainline. My ticket history is fine but my offence is from West Byfleet to Guildford and I frequent Woking/Guildford without going to West Byfleet (I have proof or getting Taxi's from Woking station). Will they see this as suspicious? The guy who gave me Report for Prosecution gave took a picture of the ticket then looked through my app and said "hmmm you do purchase regularly" then carried on with writing.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Feb 2026 ==

welcome - you are generally required to have a ticket before you board a trains (tho you are not forced to buy one on your phone but if an open ticket office or ticket machine in working order was at the station you are required to use it - and leave enough time to use it if you are in a hurry.

In terms of what to expect this general advice given on this forum that I have copied below will help you know what to expect and in due course what to do about it - it may be some weeks before you hear from them so ask any questions you wish here in the mean time - and have a look at a few other threads involving SWR too:


Firstly, you committed a criminal offence by travelling with an invalid ticket and railway companies are entitled to prosecute you in the Magistrates Court if they want to. The good news is they will normally offer an out of court settlement to people who co-operate with them and who haven't come to their attention before.

Next, what happens is the railway company will write to you. The letter will go to the address that you gave them / on any of your ID they checked so you need to be able to access hard copy post at that address as they often send things that way (but also check e-mail and spam). It is extremely important that you reply, and you'll only have a limited time to do so (often 14 days from the date on their communication).

When you receive the letter post a redacted copy of it in this thread, along with your draft reply and forum members will proof read it for you. You'll find lots of example letters you can use in this section of the forum but the reply basically needs to mention:

- That you are sorry for what has happened
- What you have learned from the incident and will not do this again
- That you are keen to settle the matter without the need for court action
- Offer to pay the outstanding fare and the railway company’s administrative costs in dealing with the matter

The railway will probably offer you an out of court settlement. Expect to have to pay the cost of the fare for the journey you made at the full Anytime rate with no credit given for the invalid ticket you purchased. In addition they will charge an admin fee, typically £150. They will also audit your online ticket purchase history and if this shows you've purchased other tickets that were not valid (eg railcard discounted tickets when you did not have a valid railcard, or tickets for only part of the journey, or tickets bought after boarding the train you travelled on ) they will probably factor the cost of these journeys into the settlement offer. Depending on how many journeys you've made over the period concerned this could end up being expensive.

Settlements usually have to be paid in full within a few days of them being offered so if money is tight you might want to think about how you will raise the sum required at short notice.

Thank you!!! - will come back when they send me the letter, ill be honest I did jump the gun and email in already based off all the advice I saw on the forum. I called the prosecution team and one of them said if you want to email in then you can so I did.

 

[jfollows]

An out of court settlement is not a fine.
Nor is a Penalty Fare, which I think is the £55 (£110) you refer to.
They can search any purchase history, including TrainPal.
They may take a previous Penalty Fare into account when deciding what to do, but even with this I still think a settlement out of court is most likely.

 

[z444z]

They may take a previous Penalty Fare into account when deciding what to do, but even with this I still think a settlement out of court is most likely.

Agreed

 

[TadisOrTads]

Hello everyone

i finally got my letter!

please may you advise

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Mar 2026 ==

welcome - you are generally required to have a ticket before you board a trains (tho you are not forced to buy one on your phone but if an open ticket office or ticket machine in working order was at the station you are required to use it - and leave enough time to use it if you are in a hurry.

In terms of what to expect this general advice given on this forum that I have copied below will help you know what to expect and in due course what to do about it - it may be some weeks before you hear from them so ask any questions you wish here in the mean time - and have a look at a few other threads involving SWR too:


Firstly, you committed a criminal offence by travelling with an invalid ticket and railway companies are entitled to prosecute you in the Magistrates Court if they want to. The good news is they will normally offer an out of court settlement to people who co-operate with them and who haven't come to their attention before.

Next, what happens is the railway company will write to you. The letter will go to the address that you gave them / on any of your ID they checked so you need to be able to access hard copy post at that address as they often send things that way (but also check e-mail and spam). It is extremely important that you reply, and you'll only have a limited time to do so (often 14 days from the date on their communication).

When you receive the letter post a redacted copy of it in this thread, along with your draft reply and forum members will proof read it for you. You'll find lots of example letters you can use in this section of the forum but the reply basically needs to mention:

- That you are sorry for what has happened
- What you have learned from the incident and will not do this again
- That you are keen to settle the matter without the need for court action
- Offer to pay the outstanding fare and the railway company’s administrative costs in dealing with the matter

The railway will probably offer you an out of court settlement. Expect to have to pay the cost of the fare for the journey you made at the full Anytime rate with no credit given for the invalid ticket you purchased. In addition they will charge an admin fee, typically £150. They will also audit your online ticket purchase history and if this shows you've purchased other tickets that were not valid (eg railcard discounted tickets when you did not have a valid railcard, or tickets for only part of the journey, or tickets bought after boarding the train you travelled on ) they will probably factor the cost of these journeys into the settlement offer. Depending on how many journeys you've made over the period concerned this could end up being expensive.

Settlements usually have to be paid in full within a few days of them being offered so if money is tight you might want to think about how you will raise the sum required at short notice.

hello, i finally got my letter, please may you advise

 

[z444z]

What details do they request below?

 

[TadisOrTads]

this was on the back of the letter, is there meant to be more?

 

[WesternLancer]

Hello everyone

i finally got my letter!

please may you advise

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Mar 2026 ==


hello, i finally got my letter, please may you advise

That’s a fairly standard letter.

The advice on How you should draft a reply is in post 3 above.

 

[z444z]

this was on the back of the letter, is there meant to be more?

No that looks pretty standard, just wanted to check to make sure we've seen all of what they've written to you.

As above, please draft a response to SE based on the advice in post #3 and post it here for us to review

 

[TadisOrTads]

No that looks pretty standard, just wanted to check to make sure we've seen all of what they've written to you.

As above, please draft a response to SE based on the advice in post #3 and post it here for us to review

That’s a fairly standard letter.

The advice on How you should draft a reply is in post 3 above.

Dear Prosecutions,

I am writing in response to your recent letter regarding the incident on 10 February while travelling from West Byfleet to Guildford.

I would like to apologise for travelling without a valid ticket at the time. I fully accept responsibility for this mistake. I had attempted to purchase a ticket before boarding, but the purchase did not complete due to connectivity, and the ticket was purchased shortly after the train departed. I understand that this does not make the journey valid and I regret that this occurred.

This was a genuine mistake and I had no intention of avoiding payment. I have reflected seriously on the situation and ensured that I always have a valid ticket before boarding.

I would be very grateful if you would consider allowing me to resolve this matter without court proceedings. I am willing to pay the outstanding fare for the journey together with any administrative costs incurred.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Please may i have some advice on this draft

 

[z444z]

Looks pretty good. Add the reference number right at the top. I’ve made a couple little changes below:

I now understand that this makes the ticket invalid and I regret that this occurred.

I have reflected seriously on the situation and will always ensure that I have a valid ticket before boarding in future.

 

[TadisOrTads]

Good Afternoon Everyone,

I wanted to leave an update as apparently people do not usually, i ended up settling out of court for around £126, they did not check my TrainPal/Trainline history.

This has now been paid and this chapter of my life is over. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who assisted me during this time and gave me advice to be okay!!!

Thank you so much!!!

 

[WesternLancer]

Good Afternoon Everyone,

I wanted to leave an update as apparently people do not usually, i ended up settling out of court for around £126, they did not check my TrainPal/Trainline history.

This has now been paid and this chapter of my life is over. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who assisted me during this time and gave me advice to be okay!!!

Thank you so much!!!

Good news. Thanks for updating

There is a possibility of a sperate investigation about any other things they regard as a debt owed, but we don't see that happen often - so chances are the matter will not return further. If it does you can head back here for more advice if you wish to.

Just to say keep proof of payment of this settlement sum, and all the paperwork associated with this - in the unlikely event of ever needing it - and keep that long term (ie over a year and possibly as long as 6 years)

 

[monkeykey79]

Good Afternoon Everyone,

I wanted to leave an update as apparently people do not usually, i ended up settling out of court for around £126, they did not check my TrainPal/Trainline history.

This has now been paid and this chapter of my life is over. I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who assisted me during this time and gave me advice to be okay!!!

Thank you so much!!!

Did they send you anything else after you responded to their letter because after I responded to the letter they said

Good afternoon,

Thank you for your email and information.
We will review this matter again and write to you at the correspondence address that was given to us on the day, advising you of the next steps.
Kind Regards,

I wanted to know if this response was normal because I expected them to have responded to my request for an out of court settlement by now

 

[30907]

Did they send you anything else after you responded to their letter because after I responded to the letter they said

Good afternoon,

Thank you for your email and information.
We will review this matter again and write to you at the correspondence address that was given to us on the day, advising you of the next steps.
Kind Regards,

I wanted to know if this response was normal because I expected them to have responded to my request for an out of court settlement by now

It is a month since the OP reported that they had settled. It's unlikely you will get a reply, so concentrate on your own thread

 

[TadisOrTads]

Did they send you anything else after you responded to their letter because after I responded to the letter they said

Good afternoon,

Thank you for your email and information.
We will review this matter again and write to you at the correspondence address that was given to us on the day, advising you of the next steps.
Kind Regards,

I wanted to know if this response was normal because I expected them to have responded to my request for an out of court settlement by now

I didnt get a reply once i sent mine, i just heard back via the final letter!