Witness statement receipt

[cee]

Hello everyone,

Please help me. I received a receipt from thameslink. Super scared and worried what is to happen next. Haven’t yet received a letter from them what to do next but, does anyone know what usually happens and the outcome?

Your help will be appreciated

Thank you

 

[SECR 65]

Welcome to the forum,

It may take a few months for GTR (the company that runs Thameslink) to write to you.

If you're able to provide a few more details about your journey and why you were stopped etc then that would be useful to help us advise you.

The first letter will almost certainly be a 'Notice of Intention to Prosecute'. They will ask for your version of events to help them decide what course of action to take. In practice, provided you cooperate with them and respond to their correspondence, you will normally be offered an out of court settlement, typically the cost of the anytime single fare for your journey plus an admin fee, likely in the region of £150.

When the letter arrives, upload it to the forum with personal details redacted, and we can help with drafting your response.

There isn't much you can do in the meantime, but a couple of things:

• Be certain you always have a correct ticket for any railway journey you make.
• Have a read of other GTR Notice of Intention to Prosecute threads on the forum. Let me know if you're struggling to find many and I can provide links. You'll be able to see their typical first letter, and also example responses.
• Ask on here if you have any questions, as someone will be able to help.

if you have heard nothing from GTR in 4-5 months, and have been checking post and emails regularly (this is important) then come back here and we can advise on possible next steps.

 

[AlterEgo]

Hello everyone,

Please help me. I received a receipt from thameslink. Super scared and worried what is to happen next. Haven’t yet received a letter from them what to do next but, does anyone know what usually happens and the outcome?

Your help will be appreciated

Thank you

Please tell us what has happened as per the posting guidelines, so we can help.


We need to know all relevant facts in order to assist you, including, for example:

The stations* where you actually started & finished your journey

The stations* where you changed trains (if applicable);

If you presented a ticket(s), the information* stated under "Ticket type", "From", "To", "Route", and any other relevant details;

Details of any Railcard(s) held;

When and where ticket(s) were purchased, including whether this was prior to the journey commencing;

What happened in any encounter with railway staff;

Upload copies of any paperwork (with personal details redacted) with your post.

 

[WesternLancer]

If you can answer the questions above it will help people give you specific advice to your situation

Keep that receipt safe and make a copy of it for your reference - you may need the info on it as things develop

but here is the general advice often given which sets out what will typically happen and what you can do about it



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 - this may take some time (eg 6 - 8 weeks but if you have not heard in about 4 months form the date of the incident head back here for some advice on what you might need to consider doing). 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 as short as 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.

 

[cee]

Hello everyone,

Thank you so much for coming back to me. I will answer your questions and add and attachment of my receipt given.

The stations* started my journey from Catford bridge however stopped at London Bridge but normally I buy my ticket but had a lot going on forgot to by my ticket to Hitchin, so I bought my ticket on the train from another place Stevenage to Hitchin instead of London Bridge or Catford bridge.

Only had ticket from Stevenage to Hitchin but I was coming from London.

Details of any Railcard(s) held;
None

When and where ticket(s) were purchased, including whether this was prior to the journey commencing;

What happened in any encounter with railway staff; they gave me slip attached.

Hope this helps

 

[Mattplans]

The stations* started my journey from Catford bridge however stopped at London Bridge

Where were you caught? At London Bridge or Hitchin?

 

[AlterEgo]

Where were you caught? At London Bridge or Hitchin?

The witness statement receipt says Hitchin. They would have changed trains at London Bridge.

 

[WesternLancer]

Hello everyone,

Thank you so much for coming back to me. I will answer your questions and add and attachment of my receipt given.

The stations* started my journey from Catford bridge however stopped at London Bridge but normally I buy my ticket but had a lot going on forgot to by my ticket to Hitchin, so I bought my ticket on the train from another place Stevenage to Hitchin instead of London Bridge or Catford bridge.

Only had ticket from Stevenage to Hitchin but I was coming from London.

Details of any Railcard(s) held;
None

When and where ticket(s) were purchased, including whether this was prior to the journey commencing;

What happened in any encounter with railway staff; they gave me slip attached.

Hope this helps

Basically you just need to wait for them to write to you then head back here for further advice.
If you have not heard in about four months head back here for advice on options.
Make a diary note of that 4 month date.

 

[cee]

Thank you. Appropriate it

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Jul 2026 ==

Sorry me again, forgot to say I’m going on holiday for 2 weeks beginning of august, worrried letter might arrive during the time I am away. Does anyone know how I can cover myself?

 

[30907]

Thank you. Appropriate it

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Jul 2026 ==

Sorry me again, forgot to say I’m going on holiday for 2 weeks beginning of august, worrried letter might arrive during the time I am away. Does anyone know how I can cover myself?

GTR are unlikely to give you less than 14 days to reply and also unlikely to bin a reply that's a couple of days late.

If you have done this more than once there is a chance that they will audit your purchase history (though we don't see that very much from GTR) so it would be worth making your own list of the occasions and noting the full fares.

 

[WesternLancer]

Thank you. Appropriate it

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 3 Jul 2026 ==

Sorry me again, forgot to say I’m going on holiday for 2 weeks beginning of august, worrried letter might arrive during the time I am away. Does anyone know how I can cover myself?

That sort of holiday duration probably not a problem, but do you have a friend who could check your house for post occasionally whilst you are away and alert you to anything?

 

[cee]

Thank you