Wrong details and no railcard

[Mp4090]

I went to go home but I got stopped and couldn’t provide a valid rail card I got scared so I gave them wrong details name,Dob and address. I thought I could get away with it. I only hd money to get home and back. I want to pay the fine now to get it over and done with now but not sure where to or how

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Oct 2025 ==

Would like any advice and have definitely learnt my lesson

 

[notmyrealname]

Hi, welcome to the forum.

If you could provide the answers to the questions in this thread please, it would help the pros here to advise you.

Please read before posting in Disputes & Prosecutions

Guidance for those asking for advice: Please bear in mind the following, when asking for advice in this section: 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...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Mp4090]

The journey started on the brighton thamelink to Blackfriars’s

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Oct 2025 ==

The journey started on the brighton thamelink to Blackfriars’s

I would like a way to pay the fine but I’m unable to because I have gave the ticket inspectors wrong details of my name, dob and address

 

[WesternLancer]

The journey started on the brighton thamelink to Blackfriars’s

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Oct 2025 ==


I would like a way to pay the fine but I’m unable to because I have gave the ticket inspectors wrong details of my name, dob and address

technically only a court can issue a Fine after being found guilty in court of an offence.

Perhaps you are thinking of a Penalty Fare? Like you have seen on posters at stations. Which can only be issued at the time not after the event. Were you given a Penalty fare?

So we need to know more about that happened and what you were given if they gave you any paperwork

Hence the request to answer those questions in post 2 so people will advise you what might happen next.

 

[Mp4090]

Sorry for the confusion I bought a return ticket from brighton to benfleet on a Monday 14 th October. The ticket inspector asked for my ticket and my railcard. My phone died and I couldn’t prove I had a rail card. Until I got home I realised I didn’t have a valid rail card as it expired a month before. I also deeply regretting gave wrong address and name to the ticket inspector he said it’s not a fine but I’ve got to prove my railcard

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Oct 2025 ==

Sorry for the confusion I bought a return ticket from brighton to benfleet on a Monday 14 th October. The ticket inspector asked for my ticket and my railcard. My phone died and I couldn’t prove I had a rail card. Until I got home I realised I didn’t have a valid rail card as it expired a month before. I also deeply regretting gave wrong address and name to the ticket inspector he said it’s not a fine but I’ve got to prove my railcard

But to pay it would have a railcard I just bought after the incident and wrong details of name and address and date of birth.
So if I give my railcard that I have now it would have completely different name and address on the website to the details I gave out

 

[WesternLancer]

Sorry for the confusion I bought a return ticket from brighton to benfleet on a Monday 14 th October. The ticket inspector asked for my ticket and my railcard. My phone died and I couldn’t prove I had a rail card. Until I got home I realised I didn’t have a valid rail card as it expired a month before. I also deeply regretting gave wrong address and name to the ticket inspector he said it’s not a fine but I’ve got to prove my railcard

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Oct 2025 ==


But to pay it would have a railcard I just bought after the incident and wrong details of name and address and date of birth.
So if I give my railcard that I have now it would have completely different name and address on the website to the details I gave out

Did you have a ticket with a barcode and did they scan that?

That might mean they can link the ticket to your correct address if they investigate that when the wrong address fails to work to contact you.

The standard process is that if you fail to upload your railcard they write to you, threatening court prosecution for travel without a valid ticket. If you fail to respond to that hard copy letter, they then do take you to court and prosecute you - by which time the sum owed (to the court by that point) has escalated.

But the issue is what will happen if you gave completely false details (false name, DOB, address) - at which point will they seek to try and trace you through info on the ticket you presented e.g. via the barcode

You should certainly keep an eye on e-mail and spam over the next few months.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Oct 2025 ==

But to pay it would have a railcard I just bought after the incident and wrong details of name and address and date of birth.
So if I give my railcard that I have now it would have completely different name and address on the website to the details I gave out

Buying a Railcard later on will make no difference anyway I'm afraid - you are required to have it when you board the train to avoid committing a ticketing offence - and they can compare the time you bought the railcard with the time you were asked to present it to see you did not have one when you boarded the train. Even if you had given correct personal details, that would not resolve the issue.

 

[Mp4090]

Did you have a ticket with a barcode and did they scan that?

That might mean they can link the ticket to your correct address if they investigate that when the wrong address fails to work to contact you.

The standard process is that if you fail to upload your railcard they write to you, threatening court prosecution for travel without a valid ticket. If you fail to respond to that hard copy letter they then do take you to court and prosecute you - by which time the sum owed (to the court by that point) has escalated.

But the issue is what will happen if you gave completely false details (false name, doB, address) - at which point will they seek to try and trace you through info on the ticket you presented eg via the barcode

You should certainly keep an eye on e-mail and spam over the next few months.

I bought the tickets on Trainline so the tickets I need to get are physical copies and I bought them with my card through the app. I’ve tried to contact them but I’m just worried about a criminal record

 

[MarlowDonkey]

So if I give my railcard that I have now it would have completely different name and address on the website to the details I gave out

That's not going to work anyway as the Railcard has to be in date when you actually travel.

Your risk is that if they cannot get in touch, they will prosecute you in your absence for travelling without a valid ticket.

If you had a valid railcard and it was just not on you or be able to be displayed, there's a once a year tolerance that they will withdraw any penalties or threats of prosecution when you show them a valid one.

They may be able to trace you from the details on the ticket.

 

[WesternLancer]

I bought the tickets on Trainline so the tickets I need to get are physical copies and I bought them with my card through the app. I’ve tried to contact them but I’m just worried about a criminal record

don't try to contact anyone (eg railway company, Trainline) until you have waited for advice on here over the next day or two as to what your options are.

Do you mean you had a card ticket printed out from a ticket machine that you collected?
Did it have any Aztec / Barcode on it?

Did it look like this, for example?

 

[Mp4090]

technically only a court can issue a Fine after being found guilty in court of an offence.

Perhaps you are thinking of a Penalty Fare? Like you have seen on posters at stations. Which can only be issued at the time not after the event. Were you given a Penalty fare?

So we need to know more about that happened and what you were given if they gave you any paperwork

Hence the request to answer those questions in post 2 so people will advise you what might happen next.

Thank you for the help

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Oct 2025 ==

don't try to contact anyone (eg railway company, Trainline) until you have waited for advice on here over the next day or two as to what your options are.

Do you mean you had a card ticket printed out from a ticket machine that you collected?
Did it have any Aztec / Barcode on it?

Did it look like this for example?

View attachment 191034

Yes like 2 of them outward and return I’ve paid the railcard discount ones

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Oct 2025 ==

That's not going to work anyway as the Railcard has to be in date when you actually travel.

Your risk is that if they cannot get in touch, they will prosecute you in your absence for travelling without a valid ticket.

If you had a valid railcard and it was just not on you or be able to be displayed, there's a once a year tolerance that they will withdraw any penalties or threats of prosecution when you show them a valid one.

They may be able to trace you from the details on the ticket.

Thank you for the help

 

[WesternLancer]

Thank you for the help

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Oct 2025 ==


Yes like 2 of them outward and return I’ve paid the railcard discount ones

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Oct 2025 ==


Thank you for the help

Sorry - I can't be clear which bit of my question about the ticket you are answering

1) Did your ticket have an Aztec barcode or any other sort of scannable bar code on it or not?

2) If it did, did they scan your ticket?

3) or was your ticket like the one I put a picture of with no scannable code

4) did they take your ticket(s) away from you and keep it / them, or perhaps take a photo of your ticket(s) ?

 

[Mp4090]

sorry - I can't be clear which bit of my question about the ticket you are answering

1) Did your ticket have an Aztec barcode or any other sort of scannable bar code on it or not?

2) If it did, did they scan your ticket?

3) or was your ticket like the one I put a picture of with no scannable code

4) did they take your ticket(s) away from you and keep it / them, or perhaps take a photo of your ticket(s) ?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Oct 2025 ==

I don’t think he has scanned it or anything but he just has my fake details

 

[WesternLancer]

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Oct 2025 ==

I don’t think he has scanned it or anything but he just has my fake details

OK - thanks for clarifying and for posting the image of your ticket.

I think that will help people advise you on what your options are so you can decide what you might wish to do.

 

[Mp4090]

OK - thanks for clarifying and for posting the image of your ticket.

I think that will help people advise you on what your options are so you can decide what you might wish to do.

Thank you for the help

 

[notmyrealname]

Did you give the railway man an address that exists and do you know the people who live there? I'm just wondering if you would receive any correspondence about this.

 

[Mp4090]

Not sure who would lives there but I’m looking to amend my mistake if that is possibly

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Oct 2025 ==

Not sure who would lives there but I’m looking to amend my mistake if that is possibly

I very rarely go back home

 

[RPI]

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Oct 2025 ==

I don’t think he has scanned it or anything but he just has my fake details

That ticket was purchased online and collected, it has a ToD reference number which can easily be traced back to you.

 

[Mp4090]

That ticket was purchased online and collected, it has a ToD reference number which can easily be traced back to you.

Thank you for the help just curious if any serious legal consequences would happen?

 

[RPI]

Thank you for the help just curious if any serious legal consequences would happen?

Well, you've committed several offences, the most serious is probably the false details though

 

[WesternLancer]

Not sure who would lives there but I’m looking to amend my mistake if that is possibly

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Oct 2025 ==


I very rarely go back home

If you want to amend your mistake (and then start co-operating with the railway) at this stage you should just write a simple letter giving your correct name and address details to Thameslink - you may have to post this hard copy but you may be able to e-mail it

It may not be a good idea to get into the detail of things at this stage - you will need to wait for them to write to you which could take some weeks. So you need to be able to get hard copy post at the address you gave for some weeks / months ahead. When they write to you people here can help you with the reply you will need to send.

If they can contact you, and you reply, it is very likely that Thameslink would not take any court action or anything like that - they may charge you for a new ticket and an 'admin fee' for looking into this


A letter like that would be along the following lines -


Their address is - assuming it was Thameslink staff that questioned you
Prosecutions Department, Govia Thameslink Railway, Eastside Offices, Kings Cross Railway Station, London N1C 4AX.

Here is an e-mail address for them that might be of help to you to inform them of your new postal address
if you were given a weblink to upload a copy of a Railcard you could perhaps upload your letter about the address to that link.

email: gtr.prosecutions@gtrailway.com

All you should say in your letter or e mail is this sort of thing:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Sir/ Madam
I was stopped on x date at y location and questioned about the validity of my rail ticket in relation to a Railcard discount.

I was given this ref number xxxxx (INCLUDE THIS LINE IF YOU WERE GIVEN ONE)

Unfortunately I did not give correct personal detail and I would like to apologise for this.

The name and address and date of birth I gave was: (INSERT DETAILS SO THEY CAN MATCH THINGS UP)

Please note my correct name and address is …..

My e-mail address is:

I would be grateful if anything could be sent to me at the correct address so that I can reply to it promptly.

Yours faithfully

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Mp4090]

If you want to amend your mistake (and then start co-operating with the railway) at this stage you should just write a simple letter giving your correct name and address details to Thameslink - you may have to post this hard copy but you may be able to e-mail it

It may not be a good idea to get into the detail of things at this stage - you will need to wait for them to write to you which could take some weeks. So you need to be able to get hard copy post at the address you gave for some weeks / months ahead. When they write to you people here can help you with the reply you will need to send.

If they can contact you, and you reply, it is very likely that Thameslink would not take any court action or anything like that - they may charge you for a new ticket and an 'admin fee' for looking into this


A letter like that would be along the following lines -


Their address is - assuming it was Thameslink staff that questioned you
Prosecutions Department, Govia Thameslink Railway, Eastside Offices, Kings Cross Railway Station, London N1C 4AX.

Here is an e-mail address for them that might be of help to you to inform them of your new postal address
if you were given a weblink to upload a copy of a Railcard you could perhaps upload your letter about the address to that link.

email: gtr.prosecutions@gtrailway.com

All you should say in your letter or e mail is this sort of thing:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Sir/ Madam
I was stopped on x date at y location and questioned about the validity of my rail ticket in relation to a Railcard discount.

I was given this ref number xxxxx (INCLUDE THIS LINE IF YOU WERE GIVEN ONE)

Unfortunately I did not give correct personal detail and I would like to apologise for this.

The name and address and date of birth I gave was: (INSERT DETAILS SO THEY CAN MATCH THINGS UP)

Please note my correct name and address is …..

My e-mail address is:

I would be grateful if anything could be sent to me at the correct address so that I can reply to it promptly.

Yours faithfully

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you very much I appreciate the help