Thameslink train - SWR inspectors - Fare evasion

[louisebr6]

I received a valid penalty fare, which I accepted and paid immediately. I'm not disputing the penalty. This is my first ever.

During the inspection, however, the inspector asked to see my other travel cards, including an expired season ticket that I only renew during term time (It's the summer holiday so I just tap with contactless on the rare occasion that I go out). She then asked a number of questions about my travel history and recorded some of my answers on the camera before issuing the penalty fare.

What I'm unsure about is what happens next. If a penalty fare is issued and paid straight away, does that usually mean the matter is closed, or can the operator still decide to investigate and contact you later? I've read about the six-month time limit for some fare evasion cases, so I'm wondering whether I should still expect a letter or email, or whether receiving and paying the penalty fare on the day usually brings the matter to an end.

Don't have a history of fare evasion, my only worry is that I don't actually tap my valid season ticket pass; both my stations have no barriers and my pass is valid and so I just tap it when I am asked by an inspector. Could that be a criminal offence?

Has anyone experienced something similar?

 

[Fawkes Cat]

I received a valid penalty fare, which I accepted and paid immediately. I'm not disputing the penalty. This is my first ever.

During the inspection, however, the inspector asked to see my other travel cards, including an expired season ticket that I only renew during term time (It's the summer holiday so I just tap with contactless on the rare occasion that I go out). She then asked a number of questions about my travel history and recorded some of my answers on the camera before issuing the penalty fare.

What I'm unsure about is what happens next. If a penalty fare is issued and paid straight away, does that usually mean the matter is closed, or can the operator still decide to investigate and contact you later? I've read about the six-month time limit for some fare evasion cases, so I'm wondering whether I should still expect a letter or email, or whether receiving and paying the penalty fare on the day usually brings the matter to an end.

Don't have a history of fare evasion, my only worry is that I don't actually tap my valid season ticket pass; both my stations have no barriers and my pass is valid and so I just tap it when I am asked by an inspector. Could that be a criminal offence?

Has anyone experienced something similar?

Welcome to the forum

The quick answer is that you probably have nothing to worry about: the penalty fare will have disposed of the immediate matter, and for full season tickets (as opposed to flexi season tickets) you only need to tap/show them if needed to get through a barrier or (as you said) asked by an inspector. And there's nothing wrong with still having old tickets in your purse or wallet.

What could happen is that the railway will look at your pattern of buying tickets and think that there's something odd about it - so they might write to you asking you to explain your pattern of purchase of tickets. If that happens, our advice would be to come back and talk to us again: most likely you would be best advised not to reply to anything from the railway, but the specific facts can mean that a different answer makes more sense.

It's also worth bearing in mind that it's best to avoid doing whatever caused you to have to pay a penalty fare: if you do it again, and are caught again, then you might not get such a generous solution as the penalty fare you have just dealt with. So try to make sure that you always pay the right train fare before getting on a train.

 

[30907]

The PF resolves the immediate issue.

You don't have to tap in/out with a season.

If you are contacted about anything else, ignore it (probably).

 

[Watershed]

I received a valid penalty fare, which I accepted and paid immediately. I'm not disputing the penalty. This is my first ever.

During the inspection, however, the inspector asked to see my other travel cards, including an expired season ticket that I only renew during term time (It's the summer holiday so I just tap with contactless on the rare occasion that I go out). She then asked a number of questions about my travel history and recorded some of my answers on the camera before issuing the penalty fare.

What I'm unsure about is what happens next. If a penalty fare is issued and paid straight away, does that usually mean the matter is closed, or can the operator still decide to investigate and contact you later? I've read about the six-month time limit for some fare evasion cases, so I'm wondering whether I should still expect a letter or email, or whether receiving and paying the penalty fare on the day usually brings the matter to an end.

Having paid the Penalty Fare, the journey where you were stopped is now resolved and they will not reopen that.

However, we have seen train companies use the data used to issue a Penalty Fare to obtain details of ticket purchases from various retailers (especially Trainline and Trainpal). Some companies have then investigated this data to see if there are any potential irregularities.

Things that might stand out to them would be tickets bought for two short journeys a fair distance apart on the same day (indicating that you ight not be paying for your whole journey), tickets bought with varying Railcard discounts (e.g. 16-25 Railcard discounted tickets followed by 16-17 Saver discounted tickets) or buying tickets with Railcards which are incompatible with the age recorded when the Penalty Fare was issued.

Of course there may well be legitimate explanations for all of the above, but it is possible that you might hear back from the train company regarding other journeys.

Don't have a history of fare evasion, my only worry is that I don't actually tap my valid season ticket pass; both my stations have no barriers and my pass is valid and so I just tap it when I am asked by an inspector. Could that be a criminal offence?

As long as you have bought a valid ticket (with a day's travel activated if it is a Flexi Season) you are not required to touch your ticket to any kind of barrier or validator for it to be valid for travel. The fact that you have bought the ticket (and activated it and/or loaded it onto a smartcard if applicable) is sufficient.

Train companies would like you to touch in and out for every journey even when you have already bought a ticket, because it gives them additional data which they can use to investigate journey history and potentially deny refund or Delay Repay claims. It certainly isn't going to be used for anything that will work in your favour!

Now if the season ticket you have bought is between two close-by stations, neither of which are near the address your account is registered under, that might raise some flags. But you have stated that you have travelled with a valid season ticket so I'm going to assume that you had a valid ticket that covered your entire commute.

Has anyone experienced something similar?

There are lots of threads on this section of the forum about the kinds of retrospective investigations I have mentioned above. Greater Anglia, South Western Railways and West Midlands Trains are three of the operators whose cases we've heard about the most, but that's not to say that other companies might not be starting to do the same thing as well.

 

[louisebr6]

Welcome to the forum

The quick answer is that you probably have nothing to worry about: the penalty fare will have disposed of the immediate matter, and for full season tickets (as opposed to flexi season tickets) you only need to tap/show them if needed to get through a barrier or (as you said) asked by an inspector. And there's nothing wrong with still having old tickets in your purse or wallet.

What could happen is that the railway will look at your pattern of buying tickets and think that there's something odd about it - so they might write to you asking you to explain your pattern of purchase of tickets. If that happens, our advice would be to come back and talk to us again: most likely you would be best advised not to reply to anything from the railway, but the specific facts can mean that a different answer makes more sense.

It's also worth bearing in mind that it's best to avoid doing whatever caused you to have to pay a penalty fare: if you do it again, and are caught again, then you might not get such a generous solution as the penalty fare you have just dealt with. So try to make sure that you always pay the right train fare before getting on a train.

That has definitely calmed me down! Thank you so much I really appreciate it! I will definitely come back if I receive any comms, I hope not though.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Aug 2026 ==

The PF resolves the immediate issue.

You don't have to tap in/out with a season.

If you are contacted about anything else, ignore it (probably).

Okay great thank you so much!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Aug 2026 ==

Having paid the Penalty Fare, the journey where you were stopped is now resolved and they will not reopen that.

However, we have seen train companies use the data used to issue a Penalty Fare to obtain details of ticket purchases from various retailers (especially Trainline and Trainpal). Some companies have then investigated this data to see if there are any potential irregularities.

Things that might stand out to them would be tickets bought for two short journeys a fair distance apart on the same day (indicating that you ight not be paying for your whole journey), tickets bought with varying Railcard discounts (e.g. 16-25 Railcard discounted tickets followed by 16-17 Saver discounted tickets) or buying tickets with Railcards which are incompatible with the age recorded when the Penalty Fare was issued.

Of course there may well be legitimate explanations for all of the above, but it is possible that you might hear back from the train company regarding other journeys.


As long as you have bought a valid ticket (with a day's travel activated if it is a Flexi Season) you are not required to touch your ticket to any kind of barrier or validator for it to be valid for travel. The fact that you have bought the ticket (and activated it and/or loaded it onto a smartcard if applicable) is sufficient.

Train companies would like you to touch in and out for every journey even when you have already bought a ticket, because it gives them additional data which they can use to investigate journey history and potentially deny refund or Delay Repay claims. It certainly isn't going to be used for anything that will work in your favour!

Now if the season ticket you have bought is between two close-by stations, neither of which are near the address your account is registered under, that might raise some flags. But you have stated that you have travelled with a valid season ticket so I'm going to assume that you had a valid ticket that covered your entire commute.


There are lots of threads on this section of the forum about the kinds of retrospective investigations I have mentioned above. Greater Anglia, South Western Railways and West Midlands Trains are three of the operators whose cases we've heard about the most, but that's not to say that other companies might not be starting to do the same thing as well.

If that's the case, I should be okay. I only ever used Trainline whilst in University and I don't I think short fared often, or if ever. But, I would definitely cooperate regardless. During that time I had a physical 16-25 railcard, given to me from my undergrad bank account provider. I never added it to my trainline account when they introduced the e-version but I am sure I would be able to get evidence from that bank. Ironically, i threw it away about a week ago after it had been sitting expired in my wallet for years haha I hope it doesn't get to that point though

 

[WesternLancer]

That has definitely calmed me down! Thank you so much I really appreciate it! I will definitely come back if I receive any comms, I hope not though.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Aug 2026 ==


Okay great thank you so much!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 6 Aug 2026 ==


If that's the case, I should be okay. I only ever used Trainline whilst in University and I don't I think short fared often, or if ever. But, I would definitely cooperate regardless. During that time I had a physical 16-25 railcard, given to me from my undergrad bank account provider. I never added it to my trainline account when they introduced the e-version but I am sure I would be able to get evidence from that bank. Ironically, i threw it away about a week ago after it had been sitting expired in my wallet for years haha I hope it doesn't get to that point though

It probably won't ever be needed but there is no harm in asking for the evidence of that old railcard from your bank - if you needed it for any reason it might take a while to get it from the bank so no harm in asking for it now. If you then get any info you can just file that away safely and keep it for when you needed it.
Chances are you won't need this however.

 

[blimmo]

You should also appeal the penalty fare at least once even if you think that it's valid as a decided appeal is a bar to prosecution.

 

[Haywain]

You should also appeal the penalty fare at least once even if you think that it's valid as a decided appeal is a bar to prosecution.

As is paying the PFN, which the OP has done.

 

[blimmo]

As is paying the PFN, which the OP has done.

Can you quote the relevant part of the regulations? As far as I can tell the regulations bar prosecution if an appeal has been decided but only require a refund if the penalty fare has been paid and the train company wants to prosecute.

 

[Haywain]

Can you quote the relevant part of the regulations? As far as I can tell the regulations bar prosecution if an appeal has been decided but only require a refund if the penalty fare has been paid and the train company wants to prosecute.

It may not be in the regulations but TOCs just don't refund PFN payments and open prosecutions instead. As this is an advice thread I think that what's actually happening in the real world is more important than theories about what might happen just because the regulations don't prevent it.