I’m still waiting for the letter I’ve prepared a statement of what happened whilst fresh in my mind. I’ll keep you guys updated. Yes it was gwr. They caught me at a very bad time. If I was in my normal frame of mind I would have just been honest from the start. I’ve honestly learnt so much from this experience and I wish they just fined me on the spot the tension is killing me. Boy have I learnt a lesson today
I'm a bit puzzled. You said you lost your ticket (which is easily done - I've left a laptop on the train before now). But you say you've "learnt a lesson", which might suggest a different scenario.
If you purchased the ticket by any other means than cash then if you are quick you should be able to get a reasonable amount of proof, even if you don't have the ticket or a receipt (and who bothers with receipts when using contactless) that you did actually purchase a ticket before setting off, and the time and place.
Why is that important? When the person assesses the case, if you can present some evidence that, on the balance of probabilities, makes them feel that you probably did buy a ticket, then they are more likely to take a more lenient view, and thus be more inclined to offer a settlement. If however, you can't present any such evidence, all they have is someone turning up without a ticket, and then lying about their name and address until found out.