Thameslink Prosecution Letter Response

[annoyedflash]

Hello everyone,

I was recently stopped on a train and have been quite anxious about the situation since. I understand I will likely receive a letter in the coming weeks and wanted to prepare my response in advance.

I have drafted a response below outlining what happened and would really appreciate any advice or feedback on whether this is appropriate, or if anything should be amended/added/removed.

Thank you in advance for any guidance. Bit more context bulleted below.

• When speaking to the inspector, I panicked and gave an incorrect explanation about my journey and how I made it onto the train, which I now regret and he rightfully didn’t believe.
• I had purchased a ticket after boarding but accept that I did not hold a valid ticket for my full journey at the time of inspection.
• I understand this will be taken seriously, and I intend to respond honestly and take full responsibility. As a student, I am particularly concerned about avoiding court action and would be grateful for any advice on how likely cases like this are to be settled.

———————————————

Dear Sir/Madam,

Ref: GTREMGXXXXX

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to respond to your letter dated XXX.

I am writing to sincerely apologise for the incident on the morning of XXX, where I was stopped by a Revenue Inspection Officer and was unable to produce a valid ticket for my full journey.

I accept that I did not hold a valid ticket for the journey I had made, having travelled from Littlehaven to London Thameslink. When approached by the officer, in a lapse of judgement I panicked and gave an incorrect explanation regarding my journey, stating that I had begun at Merstham. I deeply regret this, am embarrassed, and take full responsibility for my actions. I recognise that this was wrong and that there is no excuse for my behaviour.

This was a short-sighted and poor decision on my part. Reflecting on this incident has made me fully appreciate the seriousness of fare evasion and the impact it has on the railway, its staff, and other passengers who pay correctly. I am a student currently undertaking an internship and rely on the railway for my commute. This experience has reinforced the importance of ensuring I always hold a valid ticket before travelling, and I can assure you that this will not happen again.

I would be extremely grateful if you would consider allowing me to resolve this matter by way of an out-of-court settlement. I am more than willing to pay the full fare for my journey along with any administrative costs incurred.

Please accept my sincere apologies for my actions, and thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours faithfully,
XXX

 

[SECR 65]

This letter look fundamentally good. It's hard to say much more until you have recieved a letter from GTR (the company who run Thameslink). GTR are normally happy to settle out of court so it is unlikely that they would prosecute you. It's completely understandable that you want to be proactive but I think at this stage the only thing you can really do is to read through other GTR threads to understand the typical course of action. It is likely that GTR will take a few months to make contact as it seems they have a large backlog. Keep an eye on your post. When you get a letter, send it on here with personal details redacted. Or, if in 4-5 months you still haven't heard anything, come back here for further advice. In the meantime, let us know if you have any further questions and people will be happy to help.

 

[KwoliBlack]

W

This letter look fundamentally good. It's hard to say much more until you have recieved a letter from GTR (the company who run Thameslink). GTR are normally happy to settle out of court so it is unlikely that they would prosecute you. It's completely understandable that you want to be proactive but I think at this stage the only thing you can really do is to read through other GTR threads to understand the typical course of action. It is likely that GTR will take a few months to make contact as it seems they have a large backlog. Keep an eye on your post. When you get a letter, send it on here with personal details redacted. Or, if in 4-5 months you still haven't heard anything, come back here for further advice. In the meantime, let us know if you have any further questions and people will be happy to help.Hey just

This letter look fundamentally good. It's hard to say much more until you have recieved a letter from GTR (the company who run Thameslink). GTR are normally happy to settle out of court so it is unlikely that they would prosecute you. It's completely understandable that you want to be proactive but I think at this stage the only thing you can really do is to read through other GTR threads to understand the typical course of action. It is likely that GTR will take a few months to make contact as it seems they have a large backlog. Keep an eye on your post. When you get a letter, send it on here with personal details redacted. Or, if in 4-5 months you still haven't heard anything, come back here for further advice. In the meantime, let us know if you have any further questions and people will be happy to help.

Hey just curious, what does it mean if they don’t send anything in 4-5 months?

 

[SECR 65]

W



Hey just curious, what does it mean if they don’t send anything in 4-5 months?

Probably that the backlog in their prosecutions department is mega long. They could try to send you straight to court at that point with an SJPN, at which point forum members can try and get things sorted. After 6 months has past, as I understand it, GTR can no longer prosecute in the same way. Maybe someone else can confirm this in more detail?

If there's no letter in about 5 months, and have been carefully checking your post, then it could be that the railway are not pursuing any action, but in the case of this particular thread I would expect the OP to be contacted at some point. I don't really know what one would do after 5 months and no contact, but other forum members will know what to do at this point.

 

[KwoliBlack]

Probably that the backlog in their prosecutions department is mega long. They could try to send you straight to court at that point with an SJPN, at which point forum members can try and get things sorted. After 6 months has past, as I understand it, GTR can no longer prosecute in the same way. Maybe someone else can confirm this in more detail?

If there's no letter in about 5 months, and have been carefully checking your post, then it could be that the railway are not pursuing any action, but in the case of this particular thread I would expect the OP to be contacted at some point. I don't really know what one would do after 5 months and no contact, but other forum members will know what to do at this point.

Thanks for the insight

 

[WesternLancer]

If there's no letter in about 5 months, and have been carefully checking your post, then it could be that the railway are not pursuing any action, but in the case of this particular thread I would expect the OP to be contacted at some point. I don't really know what one would do after 5 months and no contact, but other forum members will know what to do at this point.

At that sort of time the OP has to decide between keeping quiet in the hope it gets forgotten about until after the six months deadline.
Or
Contacting them in the hope it can head off prosecution commencing at the last minute because they haven’t forgotten about you.