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SWR usually send initial contact by hard copy post, but tend to be happy to continue the conversation by email.
They are likely to ask for all of the money upfront with little notice.
I don't know how court stuff works for non-UK residents. Note that as far as I understand it we as a forum are legally forbidden from offering immigration advice.
OK - well it's not ideal that you have lost the slip but if you make a note of when and where you were stopped plus also given them the address that yo gave when you were stopped (ie your UK address) then they will probably be able to latch your case.
So if your contract is 6 months does that mean it is likely that you will return to UK? If so it's more important to seek to settle this outside of court and avoid court action in my view. This should be achievable if you co-operate with them (by which getting and answering their letter / e-mail, with advice from here on how to do that, is the key thing really)
Will you have a temporary address overseas? - They will probably communicate with you by e-mail as SWR seem happy to do that - but it's useful for them to know you have left the UK as it may mean they pursue you with less vigour than they would if they think you are still in UK - so it's in your intertest to back up your claim of moving abroad with an address, in my view.
I don't actually know - but I think v unlikely - and that would surely require the case to have gone to court, you be found guilty, not paid the court fine, and that whole process to have been concluded before you got to the exit port - all without you presumably being aware of it.
If you need to write to them before you leave (not having heard anything from them) I would suggest the following draft - or along these lines - adapt as you see fit - given you have lost your ref number.
Dear Sir/ Madam
I was stopped on x date at y location and questioned about the validity of my rail ticket.
Unfortunately I have misplaced the paper with the reference number that I was issued with.
On X date I am leaving the UK for an indefinite period. At this time I do not have any set return date
My previous address was (the address given when questioned):
My new postal address as of x date will be:
My e-mail address is:
If you are contacting me about this incident, please can I be contacted by e-mail so that I can be sure to receive your correspondence.
If you need to to send me letters by post, can any letters be sent to my new address so that I can respond to them, although I would not expect post to reach me promptly.
I don't actually know - but I think v unlikely - and that would surely require the case to have gone to court, you be found guilty, not paid the court fine, and that whole process to have been concluded before you got to the exit port - all without you presumably being aware of it.
If you need to write to them before you leave (not having heard anything from them) I would suggest the following draft - or along these lines - adapt as you see fit - given you have lost your ref number.
Dear Sir/ Madam
I was stopped on x date at y location and questioned about the validity of my rail ticket.
Unfortunately I have misplaced the paper with the reference number that I was issued with.
On X date I am leaving the UK for an indefinite period. At this time I do not have any set return date
My previous address was (the address given when questioned):
My new postal address as of x date will be:
My e-mail address is:
If you are contacting me about this incident, please can I be contacted by e-mail so that I can be sure to receive your correspondence.
If you need to to send me letters by post, can any letters be sent to my new address so that I can respond to them, although I would not expect post to reach me promptly.
Thank you mate - will do, will wait until mid August. Having read through other threads here it seems like it’ll be at least a month until I receive anything.
On the 18th of July 2026, you presented aticket, ticket number to a member of Revenue Protection. Upon questioning, it was established that you had purchased a Clapham Junction to London Waterloo Railway stations ticket with a 16-17 Saver Railcard discount applied, when after questioning it was established that you did not hold a valid 16-17 Saver Railcard as you were over the age of 18, you were advised that this made your ticket invalid for travel as you were not entitled to this discount. You were issued a Report for Prosecution number.
Further investigation of your online account has highlighted other potential inconsistencies in your ticket purchase history. This suggests that you may not be paying the correct fare for journeys made on the UK rail network.
Given the serious nature of this matter, we have taken this step to contact you and initiate a resolution, prior to escalating the matter to our case management team.
Please respond via email to within 7 daysquoting the reference number in the subject field.
On the 18th of July 2026, you presented aticket, ticket number to a member of Revenue Protection. Upon questioning, it was established that you had purchased a Clapham Junction to London Waterloo Railway stations ticket with a 16-17 Saver Railcard discount applied, when after questioning it was established that you did not hold a valid 16-17 Saver Railcard as you were over the age of 18, you were advised that this made your ticket invalid for travel as you were not entitled to this discount. You were issued a Report for Prosecution number.
Further investigation of your online account has highlighted other potential inconsistencies in your ticket purchase history. This suggests that you may not be paying the correct fare for journeys made on the UK rail network.
Given the serious nature of this matter, we have taken this step to contact you and initiate a resolution, prior to escalating the matter to our case management team.
Please respond via email to within 7 daysquoting the reference number in the subject field.
You're sorry for what has happened, and understand it was wrong / the impact it has on the railway etc
You will always make sure you have a valid ticket for travelling on trains in the future
You wish to keep the matter out of court and are prepared to pay the outstanding fare and any admin costs incurred by SWR
Having re-read the letter, they have evidently had a trawl through your ticket purchase history. So, what I've said above is roughly right, but you will need to ask for a list of journeys they are concerned about so you can cross reference with your own records. It's important that you make it clear that you wish to cooperate with their investigation.
Post your draft on here and we can review it before you send it.
Having re-read the letter, they have evidently had a trawl through your ticket purchase history. So, what I've said above is roughly right, but you will need to ask for a list of journeys they are concerned about so you can cross reference with your own records.
Also if you have held a valid railcard in the past, to find evidence of it and the dates it applied. Otherwise they will assume every ticket purchased with a railcard discount was invalid.
You're sorry for what has happened, and understand it was wrong / the impact it has on the railway etc
You will always make sure you have a valid ticket for travelling on trains in the future
You wish to keep the matter out of court and are prepared to pay the outstanding fare and any admin costs incurred by SWR
Having re-read the letter, they have evidently had a trawl through your ticket purchase history. So, what I've said above is roughly right, but you will need to ask for a list of journeys they are concerned about so you can cross reference with your own records. It's important that you make it clear that you wish to cooperate with their investigation.
Post your draft on here and we can review it before you send it.
Thank you for your email regarding Report for Prosecution number .
I want to apologize unreservedly for my actions on the 18th of July 2026, and for my historic ticket purchases. I fully admit that I used a 16-17 Saver Railcard discount that I was not entitled to, and I take complete responsibility for my behavior.
With regard to the inconsistencies highlighted in my online purchase history, I want to be entirely honest. I acknowledge that I have previously purchased incorrect fares, including child tickets, for journeys I made as an adult. I deeply regret doing this and understand the severity of my actions.
I am incredibly anxious to rectify this situation completely. I would like to respectfully request the opportunity to resolve this matter via an out-of-court settlement. I am fully prepared to repay the entirety of the outstanding rail fares for my past journeys, alongside any administrative costs or penalties required by South Western Railway to close this matter without escalating to legal proceedings.
I am fully cooperative and look forward to your guidance on the next steps to settle this balance.
Yours sincerely,
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
Thank you for your email regarding Report for Prosecution number .
I want to apologize unreservedly for my actions on the 18th of July 2026, and for my historic ticket purchases. I fully admit that I used a 16-17 Saver Railcard discount that I was not entitled to, and I take complete responsibility for my behavior.
With regard to the inconsistencies highlighted in my online purchase history, I want to be entirely honest. I acknowledge that I have previously purchased incorrect fares, including child tickets, for journeys I made as an adult. I deeply regret doing this and understand the severity of my actions.
I am incredibly anxious to rectify this situation completely. I would like to respectfully request the opportunity to resolve this matter via an out-of-court settlement. I am fully prepared to repay the entirety of the outstanding rail fares for my past journeys, alongside any administrative costs or penalties required by South Western Railway to close this matter without escalating to legal proceedings.
I am fully cooperative and look forward to your guidance on the next steps to settle this balance.
Yours sincerely,
Thank you for your email regarding Report for Prosecution number .
I want to apologize unreservedly for my actions on the 18th of July 2026, and for my historic ticket purchases. I fully admit that I used a 16-17 Saver Railcard discount that I was not entitled to, and I take complete responsibility for my behavior.
With regard to the inconsistencies highlighted in my online purchase history, I want to be entirely honest. I acknowledge that I have previously purchased incorrect fares, including child tickets, for journeys I made as an adult. I deeply regret doing this and understand the severity of my actions.
I am incredibly anxious to rectify this situation completely. I would like to respectfully request the opportunity to resolve this matter via an out-of-court settlement. I am fully prepared to repay the entirety of the outstanding rail fares for my past journeys, alongside any administrative costs or penalties required by South Western Railway to close this matter without escalating to legal proceedings.
I am fully cooperative and look forward to your guidance on the next steps to settle this balance.
Yours sincerely,
I acknowledge that I have previously purchased incorrect fares, including child tickets, for journeys I made as an adult. I deeply regret doing this and understand the severity of my actions.
I am incredibly anxious to rectify this situation completely. I would like to respectfully request the opportunity to resolve this matter via an out-of-court settlement. I am fully prepared to repay the entirety of the outstanding rail fares for my past journeys, alongside any administrative costs or penalties required by South Western Railway to close this matter without escalating to legal proceedings.
I think you have gone a bit too far with this. I think you would be better saying that you "would appreciate the opportunity to assist in reviewing your purchase history to confirm that it aligns with your own records". That will likely result in them sending you a list of the journeys for you to check so that you are in agreement. This will give you an opportunity to see what they are likely to be looking for in a settlement and have a bit more time to prepare and make sure you have the funds to hand. You can then make the request for a settlement when you return their list.
I think you have gone a bit too far with this. I think you would be better saying that you "would appreciate the opportunity to assist in reviewing your purchase history to confirm that it aligns with your own records". That will likely result in them sending you a list of the journeys for you to check so that you are in agreement. This will give you an opportunity to see what they are likely to be looking for in a settlement and have a bit more time to prepare and make sure you have the funds to hand. You can then make the request for a settlement when you return their list.
I want to apologize unreservedly for my actions on the 18th of July 2026. I fully admit that I used a 16-17 Saver Railcard discount that I was not entitled to, and I take complete responsibility for that specific journey.
With regard to the inconsistencies you highlighted in my online purchase history, I would appreciate the opportunity to assist in reviewing your purchase history to confirm that it aligns with my own records.
Please let me know the details of the journeys in question so that I may check them. Once I have had the opportunity to review your list, I look forward to working with you to find a resolution to this matter.
Just change that to "for doing so", otherwise it could be seen to suggest that if you did it on any other occasion you don't take responsibility for it!
By the way - don't neccecarily expect a list now at this stage. They will want to hear from you first and you to request for a list.
At first I thought you were at a further on stage. There's another thread where the OP has just recieved their list from SWR and it's looking expensive. May be worth a read as potentially similar to your case.
Hi everyone, I’m looking for some advice from anyone who has experience with South Western Railway investigations. Earlier this year, I was reported by an SWR Revenue Protection Inspector after I travelled with a ticket that had a 16–17 Railcard discount applied even though I hold a 26–30...
www.railforums.co.uk
Turns out it isn't very detailed - but I've found the link now
Hello all - I have received the list of journeys under investigation.
To figure out how much I will have to pay up will they charge me the current price of the journey I was short fairing or revert back to the cost of the fare when the journey was made, this dates back to 2023.
Hello all - I have received the list of journeys under investigation.
To figure out how much I will have to pay up will they charge me the current price of the journey I was short fairing or revert back to the cost of the fare when the journey was made, this dates back to 2023.
Albeit most likely with SWR the anytime singles, not the actual cost you'd have paid if purchasing tickets honestly. This can be a significant difference.
You can get historical prices at brfares.com if this is helpful.
We are aware of an issue with emails from the Forum to Microsoft-based email accounts (hotmail/outlook/live.com email addresses). This is being looked into currently, thanks for your patience meanwhile.
www.railforums.co.uk
