Hi i just have been given a travel irregularity report today for accidental use of the wrong rail card. it was genuinely a human error but it had been used on like 7 plus trips although i have a history of using my correct railcard too and i also showed the inspector my correct railcard and he sounded quite chilled about it despite him reporting me. I am here looking for support because i have received a penalty from swr over a year ago which i paid off and wondering how that affects my chances. i’m not looking for a way to sneak out of this i’m willing to pay a settlement fee just would rather avoid prosecution.
Good chance the previous Penalty Fare won't impact too badly on you though if it was for the same thing they stopped you for today they might suspect you have not learned a lesson - so now will be seeking a more detailed investigation and payment of these accidental wrong railcard trips.
It wasn't the use of a Jobseekers or 16-17 Saver Railcard was it by any chance? Or did you accidentally select a Senior Railcard when you have a 16-25 Railcard ?
General advice usually given copied below to tell you want to expect:
Firstly, you committed a
criminal offence by travelling with an invalid ticket and railway companies are entitled to prosecute you in the Magistrates Court if they want to. The good news is they will normally offer an out of court settlement to people who co-operate with them and who haven't come to their attention before.
Next, what happens is the railway company will write to you. The letter will go to the address that you gave them / on any of your ID they checked so you need to be able to access hard copy post at that address as they often send things that way (but also check e-mail and spam). It is
extremely important that you reply, and you'll only have a limited time to do so (often 14 days from the date on their communication).
When you receive the letter post a redacted copy of it in this thread, along with your draft reply and forum members will proof read it for you. You'll find lots of example letters you can use in this section of the forum but the reply basically needs to mention:
- That you are sorry for what has happened
- What you have learned from the incident and will not do this again
- That you are keen to settle the matter without the need for court action
- Offer to pay the outstanding fare and the railway company’s administrative costs in dealing with the matter
The railway will probably offer you an out of court settlement. Expect to have to pay the cost of the fare for the journey you made at the full Anytime rate with no credit given for the invalid ticket you purchased. In addition they will charge an admin fee, typically £150. They will also audit your online ticket purchase history and if this shows you've purchased other tickets that were not valid (eg railcard discounted tickets when you did not have a valid railcard, or tickets for only part of the journey, or tickets bought after boarding the train you travelled on ) they will probably factor the cost of these journeys into the settlement offer. Depending on how many journeys you've made over the period concerned this could end up being expensive.
Settlements usually have to be paid in full within a few days of them being offered so if money is tight you might want to think about how you will raise the sum required at short notice.
