Ticket Irregularity Report for Railcard

[cardiganshawn]

Good morning everyone, I was hoping to seek some advice regarding this situation.
Yesterday I was getting the train from Leeds to Liverpool, with my 26-30 railcard. The inspector arrived and I showed him my ticket, and a picture of my railcard which I showed him. He then said he needs to see the actual railcard, but the Railcard app wasn't loading because of my internet. I told him this and said I needed some time for it to load, but he refused, and gave me the ticket irregularity report. I had managed to get it up shortly after, but he had gotten off the train. My railcard is valid and in date (up to Feb 2024). Now I am potentially facing prosecution for this, and I'm wanting to know what my options are here. Thank you very much for your advice!

 

[30907]

Your railcard should be available when you are offline (just tested!), and I can understand an inspector being suspicious of a screenshot.

However, there is a provision for you to forget your railcard once a year and evidence it afterwards. Provided this is your first time, all should end well.
(Could you please upload an anonymised photo of the TIR to help us advise further?)

 

[cardiganshawn]

and I can understand an inspector being suspicious of a screenshot.

However, there is a provision for you to forget your railcard once a year and evidence it afterwards. Provided this is your first tiem, all should end well.
(Could you please upload an anonymised photo of the TIR to help us advise further?)

Thank you very much, I have attached the TIR. Do you think I should email them now with evidence of my railcard? I was thinking to attach a screenshot, but also a video from another device of me opening the app and displaying the railcard (so it cannot have been forged), and the receipt of purchase. Thanks again

 

[WesternLancer]

Thank you very much, I have attached the TIR. Do you think I should email them now with evidence of my railcard? I was thinking to attach a screenshot, but also a video from another device of me opening the app and displaying the railcard (so it cannot have been forged), and the receipt of purchase. Thanks again

I suspect it is best to wait until you get a letter from them with a request to respond - but if there are contact details on the paperwork you were given you could perhaps send info in and see what happens (looks like the copy you uploaded has the reference details on it - you may want to also obscure those perhaps.

Assume you gave a correct address where they can write to you over the coming weeks and months?

Keep all paperwork secure in case you need it.

 

[cardiganshawn]

Yes they have my address, thank you for your advice, I'll wait to receive the letter

 

[mad_rich]

Your railcard should be available when you are offline (just tested!), and I can understand an inspector being suspicious of a screenshot.

Out of interest, I checked mine in the Trainpal app. It doesn't show offline. Even when I've just been in the app looking at it.

This is why I never trust any form of ticket or pass that can't be downloaded as a PDF or added to Apple Wallet! I've had several disappearing tickets in the past, but thankfully the inspector has always given me time to fix the gremlins.

 

[Edvid]

Yesterday I was getting the train from Leeds to Liverpool, with my 26-30 railcard. The inspector arrived and I showed him my ticket, and a picture of my railcard which I showed him. He then said he needs to see the actual railcard, but the Railcard app wasn't loading because of my internet.

Which Railcard app did you use? Some of them (like the example noted in the post before mine) don't function properly without a live data connection, which can be a major issue if, say, you don't have a 4G/5G data plan and rely on Wi-Fi.

 

[Wethebest838]

Which Railcard app did you use? Some of them (like the example noted in the post before mine) don't function properly without a live data connection, which can be a major issue if, say, you don't have a 4G/5G data plan and rely on Wi-Fi.

I was stopped at a ticket check (checkpoint? if you wanna call it that) the other day in which I have an oyster with a railcard attached. I use the trainline app for my railcard as that's where I purchased it from but when asked to show my 'discount card', the railcard wasn't downloaded on the trainline app and didn't download for 5 mins due to the signal being bad even though it's worked fine before. After 5 mins, the inspector saw the part where it said my name and the expiry date and that it was 'downloading' still and he let me through as he saw it was still valid but it caught me out and got me flustered.

 

[Edvid]

I use the trainline app for my railcard as that's where I purchased it from but when asked to show my 'discount card', the railcard wasn't downloaded on the trainline app and didn't download for 5 mins due to the signal being bad even though it's worked fine before.

That is odd. I also use the Trainline app for my Network Railcard and haven't had any issues with it several months in. I presume there's a limit to how long the app can function without a data connection, but my Wi-Fi at home (and sometimes elsewhere outside of railway premises, depending on where I'm travelling) is enough for the Railcard to be available offline for the day.

 

[methecooldude]

That is odd. I also use the Trainline app for my Network Railcard and haven't had any issues with it several months in. I presume there's a limit to how long the app can function without a data connection, but my Wi-Fi at home (and sometimes elsewhere outside of railway premises, depending on where I'm travelling) is enough for the Railcard to be available offline for the day.

When you buy a railcard on the Trainline app, it will assign it to your account, but you need to go in to the Railcard section of Account and Download the railcard itself. After that's done, it's there until it expires or for whatever reason the saved data for the app is deleted

 

[Edvid]

Which reminds me - I always open the Railcard at home before I set off, just in case the Wi-Fi at my local station isn't working.

No idea if this potentially applies to the OP's situation without knowing which particular app they use though, so I'll leave it at that for now.

 

[Richardr]

Out of interest, I checked mine in the Trainpal app. It doesn't show offline. Even when I've just been in the app looking at it.

This is why I never trust any form of ticket or pass that can't be downloaded as a PDF or added to Apple Wallet! I've had several disappearing tickets in the past, but thankfully the inspector has always given me time to fix the gremlins.

Trainpal say to download it to your phone:

https://www.mytrainpal.com/faq/railcard/how-do-i-use-a-railcard

Once you've purchased a Railcard using the TrainPal app, tap "Download" to store your Railcard on your device. After applying your Railcard to a booking, sign in to your account and show your Railcard to the train conductor when asked. If you purchased a Railcard from another platform, carry it with you and show it when asked.

 

[island]

After that's done, it's there until it expires or for whatever reason the saved data for the app is deleted

Not quite. If the app isn’t opened for several days the Railcard may become unavailable until it is opened and “phones home”.

 

[_toommm_]

Trainline in my experience is really bad for ‘deleting’/‘removing’ your railcard from your phone. I bought a three-year railcard from them as they had a 50% off promo code, but it’ll ask me to download it again even after a few minutes.

I’ll check it at the station I board at to make sure it’s downloaded, but when it comes to ticket inspection, I’ve had it ask me to download it again, or even log me out. I’m on Vodafone and I don’t know if it’s my phone (a very new/current iPhone 14 Pro Max), or the network, but as I say it tends to disappear a lot. I’d understand if I had an old, slow, phone; but it’s pretty bad with a (nearly) new phone.

 

[Deafdoggie]

Trainline in my experience is really bad for ‘deleting’/‘removing’ your railcard from your phone. I bought a three-year railcard from them as they had a 50% off promo code, but it’ll ask me to download it again even after a few minutes.

I’ll check it at the station I board at to make sure it’s downloaded, but when it comes to ticket inspection, I’ve had it ask me to download it again, or even log me out. I’m on Vodafone and I don’t know if it’s my phone (a very new/current iPhone 14 Pro Max), or the network, but as I say it tends to disappear a lot. I’d understand if I had an old, slow, phone; but it’s pretty bad with a (nearly) new phone.

I've got a Samsung on EE Not travelled by train since August & I've just checked, out of curiosity, and my railcard is still there, ready to use and didn't need downloading.

 

[MrJeeves]

Trainline in my experience is really bad for ‘deleting’/‘removing’ your railcard from your phone. I bought a three-year railcard from them as they had a 50% off promo code, but it’ll ask me to download it again even after a few minutes.

Never had an issue like this. My Railcard has been downloaded for the last year and a half with no issues.

 

[mad_rich]

It can be very variable. Different operating systems, different versions, different mobile settings the user may have chosen, even different user behaviour can all affect it.

Despite all the assurances of the tech team, it doesn’t always work out the way their product testing thinks it works.

 

[travel2024]

Good morning everyone, I was hoping to seek some advice regarding this situation.
Yesterday I was getting the train from Leeds to Liverpool, with my 26-30 railcard. The inspector arrived and I showed him my ticket, and a picture of my railcard which I showed him. He then said he needs to see the actual railcard, but the Railcard app wasn't loading because of my internet. I told him this and said I needed some time for it to load, but he refused, and gave me the ticket irregularity report. I had managed to get it up shortly after, but he had gotten off the train. My railcard is valid and in date (up to Feb 2024). Now I am potentially facing prosecution for this, and I'm wanting to know what my options are here. Thank you very much for your advice!

hi, can i ask if you received the letter/ what it said and if it all got sorted?

 

[Gloster]

hi, can i ask if you received the letter/ what it said and if it all got sorted?

If you have a problem please start your own thread. No two cases are the same and good advice for one can be bad for another.

 

[cardiganshawn]

Hi everyone, thank you all for your advice!

When I received the letter, I sent an email providing a short video of my phone showing me open the app and my Railcard (So that I could show it wasn't doctored). In my written response I referred to this email evidence. I quickly received an email response saying the matter had been resolved, so it seems that was the end of that.

 

[30907]

That's an excellent result, and the one that I had expected. Thanks for the update.

Slightly OT, but IIRC (don't know whether I read this on here?) one of the two northern TOC only took action (settlement/court) over about half the TIRs issued.

 

[fandroid]

Hi everyone, thank you all for your advice!

When I received the letter, I sent an email providing a short video of my phone showing me open the app and my Railcard (So that I could show it wasn't doctored). In my written response I referred to this email evidence. I quickly received an email response saying the matter had been resolved, so it seems that was the end of that.

Great result. Just be certain your Railcard downloads before you start any journey in future, especially in the rest of this year.