SWR - How long is too long for the letter?

[Pensive10]

Hello all,

I've been attentively following this forum since the 5th of August, when I was stopped at Waterloo for traveling with an invalid ticket. I had purchased the ticket online from Clapham, but in reality, I had boarded before that stop.

Since then, I've bought a railcard and made a point of being fully honest with the system. It's unfortunate that it took an experience like this to prompt me to change. While fear of prosecution is an effective deterrent, it's disheartening that it required this situation for me to reflect. I am genuinely sorry for my actions - I will accept whatever consequence. That said, I will do what I can to avoid a criminal record. I'm prepared to be transparent with SWR when the time comes and will do whatever I can to expedite the recovery of any lost revenue caused by my actions.
What's causing me anxiety now, however, is that this incident occurred over a month ago, and I’ve yet to receive any correspondence. I provided them with my address, which was confirmed through the MG11. Is it normal for this process to take so long, or should I be proactive and reach out to them? I’m concerned that they may have tried to contact me unsuccessfully.

Thank you, in advance.

 

[signed]

should I be proactive and reach out to them?

No, do wait for them

Is it normal for this process to take so long

They have 6 months from the date of the offence, at the maximum, to intent (lay) prosecution before the court. Same would be applied to an out-of-court settlement (Anytime Single fare for every journey (return = 2 single) with no credit for fares paid + ~£150 for admin fees)

It can take months (though, from this forum reports, it usually doesn't take more than 1 to 2 months) for you to get correspondance (to which you MUST respond, please post a redacted copy here for advice), do not panic, it will come.

 

[Titfield]

Yes it can take a considerable period of time for SWR (or any TOC) to send a letter seeking your response to the MG11 issued.

It can take up to 6 months.

Unfortunately you will just have to remain patient and wait. We do not recommend being proactive as matching speculative responses to incident files is not assured of success.

 

[Hadders]

SWR are likely auditing your online ticket purchasing account to see if you have purchased short distance tickets previously.

As long as you co-operate with them and haven’t come to their attention before then I expect you will be offered an out of court settlement.

There is nothing to be gained in contacting SWR before they write to you, it could even be counterproductive. The wheels of justice move very slowly and I’m afraid you’ll need to wait for your case to come to the top of the pile.

When SWR’s letter does arrive post a copy of it in this thread (with personal details redacted), along with your draft reply and forum members will proof read it for you.

 

[Pensive10]

SWR are likely auditing your online ticket purchasing account to see if you have purchased short distance tickets previously.

As long as you co-operate with them and haven’t come to their attention before then I expect you will be offered an out of court settlement.

There is nothing to be gained in contacting SWR before they write to you, it could even be counterproductive. The wheels of justice move very slowly and I’m afraid you’ll need to wait for your case to come to the top of the pile.

When SWR’s letter does arrive post a copy of it in this thread (with personal details redacted), along with your draft reply and forum members will proof read it for you.

Yes it can take a considerable period of time for SWR (or any TOC) to send a letter seeking your response to the MG11 issued.

It can take up to 6 months.

Unfortunately you will just have to remain patient and wait. We do not recommend being proactive as matching speculative responses to incident files is not assured of success.

Thank you for the prompt and helpful response. I shall keep calm and carry on.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Sep 2024 ==

SWR are likely auditing your online ticket purchasing account to see if you have purchased short distance tickets previously.

As long as you co-operate with them and haven’t come to their attention before then I expect you will be offered an out of court settlement.

There is nothing to be gained in contacting SWR before they write to you, it could even be counterproductive. The wheels of justice move very slowly and I’m afraid you’ll need to wait for your case to come to the top of the pile.

When SWR’s letter does arrive post a copy of it in this thread (with personal details redacted), along with your draft reply and forum members will proof read it for you.

Thank you Hadders. If there is one thing my time lurking on this forum has revealed, it's that you've been of great help for many. It is appreciated, especially in the midst of uncertainty and panic.

I will keep you updated.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Sep 2024 ==

Hello, I have an update, which I received this morning. It is copied below:

On Tuesday 6th August 2024, you were questioned by a member of rail staff about an incident that occurred whilst on First MTR South Western Trains Limited property. Subsequently the matter has been passed for investigation.

On the day in question, you were stopped having produced a ticket with a railcard discount applied.

As part of this investigation, I possess the authority, in accordance with the Railway Byelaws and National Conditions of Travel 2022, to scrutinise all tickets purchased and used on the South Western Railway network if an offence has taken place. I have access to all of your Trainline Purchase History through a Data Sharing agreement and have reviewed your purchase history.



We kindly ask for your cooperation by providing any current and historical railcards since 29/01/2020 including their start and expiry dates. You can access this information by logging into your railcard account on the railcard website here: Login (railcard.co.uk) , or your Trainline account here: (Digital Railcards : Trainline Customer Service | Help, Support and FAQs (thetrainline.com) , or if you purchased your railcard through another provider, please contact that provider. If no Railcard was held, please explicitly state this.



I strongly advise against ignoring this communication. Assistance and guidance can be obtained on the internet and from the Citizens Advice Service, here: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/. You may also wish to seek independent legal advice.



South Western Railway takes fare evasion and fraud very seriously. If you fail to respond, this matter may proceed to court, and formal proceedings may follow.



As part of the investigation, you may also provide mitigation regarding your travel history which I will pass onto our Prosecutions Team, who review each case individually.



I kindly request that you respond by 02/10/2024 (7 days from the date of this email)



Please don’t hesitate to get in touch, I’m happy to assist you with any questions or worries you might have.



Please ensure that ALL details below are completed and returned to ensure our records are correct.



If I were unable to present any railcard in this period, besides being entirely candid, what do you suggest I do?

Thank you.

 

[Hadders]

I suggest you write a short, concise reply that mentions:

- That you are sorry for what has happened
- What you have learned from the incident
- Ask if it is possible to settle the matter without the need for court action
- Offer to pay the outstanding fare and the train company's administrative costs in dealing with the matter

As I suspected, SWR have researched your Trainline ticket purchasing history so I recommend 'fessing up' to what you've done.

If you upload a copy of your draft reply forum members will proof read it for you.

 

[Pensive10]

Thank you, Hudders. I sent out a candid email ticking off all the points you mentioned. Let's hope they accept my contrition.

If this letter was sent back to SWR on the 25th September, is it normal that they haven't gotten back to me.

 

[30907]

If this letter was sent back to SWR on the 25th September, is it normal that they haven't gotten back to me.

Short answer: not at all unusual. They deal with loads of cases.

 

[Pensive10]

Short answer: not at all unusual. They deal with loads of cases.

That's understandable. It all adds to the grand suspense I suppose. Thank you.

 

[Pensive10]

Hello all,

Update here: I received a letter presenting two options, which I'm sure many can already anticipate. To my surprise, I was offered an out-of-court settlement of £450—a hefty price, but one I undoubtedly earned. I’ve now settled the notice online, and after this 2.5-month ordeal, I’m ready to close this chapter of my life (and never again find myself at odds with prosecution).

I’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who provided their support throughout this journey. This forum exemplifies what a truly great community is all about. I’d also like to express my gratitude to SWR for their pragmatic handling of the situation. This experience has not only left a lasting impression but has genuinely reshaped my perspective on train fares.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Oct 2024 ==

I should add that after reviewing my Trainline data, it was discovered that I had applied railcard discounts, on multiple occasions, to my journey fares. If I were to be caught again, I'm sure they wouldn't be so pragmatic. Don't do it! These 2.5 months were full of angst and anxiety. It's not worth it.

 

[notmyrealname]

That's great news for, thank you for telling us the outcome. People here will be interested to hear the outcome.

All the best for your new chapter.

 

[Hadders]

Thanks for updating us, a decent result in the circumstances. This helps us to assist other people who ask for our help in the future.