Intention To Prosecute Advice GTR

[Ereaser24]

Hi there, i received a letter from GTR stating an intention to prosecute due to not producing a valid ticket entitling travel and need some advice.

I was stopped by an inspector and had a ticket with a 16-25 railcard on it. I lied and told him that i do have a railcard but its not with me at the moment. After this i went and bought a railcard and uploaded it on the website they provided to show evidence. Ever since i have been using the railcard to by my ticket and have no intention of ever doing that again. At the time I just started a new job role and money was tight, so I opted for the discounted ticket. It was the route from Bedford to Luton, return ticket. I know that i lied and i am wrong for doing so but i just want to know if this can be settled outside of court and if it would be accepted on my response letter? I have a lot of stress and anxiety right now as this is my first Gov role coming out of university and i dont want to be prosecuted.

Can someone please advise me on the best response for the letter please.

 

[notmyrealname]

Hi.

Could you post up the letter you've received please so the experts can advise you? Cover up your name and address and any reference numbers.

 

[30907]

I was stopped by an inspector and had a ticket with a 16-25 railcard on it. I lied and told him that i do have a railcard but its not with me at the moment. After this i went and bought a railcard and uploaded it on the website they provided to show evidence. Ever since i have been using the railcard to by my ticket and have no intention of ever doing that again. At the time I just started a new job role and money was tight, so I opted for the discounted ticket. It was the route from Bedford to Luton, return ticket. I know that i lied and i am wrong for doing so but i just want to know if this can be settled outside of court and if it would be accepted on my response letter? I have a lot of stress and anxiety right now as this is my first Gov role coming out of university and i dont want to be prosecuted.

Can someone please advise me on the best response for the letter please.

It's good that you have bought a railcard now - you can mention it as evidence that you have changed your ways now that you understand that you were in the wrong.
However, it obviously wasn't valid at the time you travelled so they are entitled to pursue your offence (not the lie, but the cheating). They may have investigated your ticket purchasing history too, so if this isn't an isolated offence (no need to tell us) expect the cost of a settlement to be higher.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of examples on here of letters expressing apology, promising not to repeat the offence, understanding why you should pay the right fare etc, and asking if they would consider settling out of court. Post your own draft for comment if you like (without personal details).
The good news is that GTR will almost certainly agree to settle if you engage with them.

 

[Ereaser24]

Thank you for your response, I have used the 16-25 railcard discount in the past and I do deeply regret that. Its not an excuse but sometimes when your a student and moneys tight you do things without thinking about the outcome. Is it likely that they will look into this? If so I would just have to face the repercussions of that such as a larger fine. Is there any tips on the best response I can write in order to prevent this from going to court?

 

[30907]

Thanks for posting the letter. It only refers to the one incident, and that's what you should reply too.

However, as I said earlier, it is likely they will try to find evidence of previous wrongdoing, though it's not likely to affect whether they will offer a settlement.
It may cost you more than if you had a clean record, but I don't think we have enough evidence to be definite about that.

 

[Ereaser24]

Hello, I have drafted this response. Please let me know if this is alright or if I need to add/takeaway anything?

Dear Sir/madam,



I am writing in response to the notice of intention to prosecute letter dated XXX.



Reference: XXX



On [date], I made a journey from [location] to [location] using an e-ticket with the 16-25 railcard applied and upon inspection by a Revenue Protection Inspector, I was unable to provide a valid ticket, as at the time I did not have a 16-25 railcard. I sincerely apologise for my dishonesty.



I take full responsibility for my actions and I now understand the severity of my actions and how it can negatively impact the rail industry, such as causing significant costs. I respect and acknowledge the importance of adhering to Govia Thameslink's rules in regards to tickets and travelling. I greatly regret my dishonesty and I am extremely sorry for the trouble I have caused.



I have purchased my own 16-25 railcard now and I have ensured the proper use of my railcard on my journeys and will continue to do so.



I am completely dedicated to cooperating with any further steps needed to resolve this issue and I am more than willing to pay any further costs arising from this matter. I humbly ask if this matter could be considered without the need for court action.



Sincerely,

Also I would like to ask do I need to mention that I lied and told the inspector that I had left my railcard at home and thats why i was unable to show him?

 

[WesternLancer]

Hello, I have drafted this response. Please let me know if this is alright or if I need to add/takeaway anything?

Dear Sir/madam,



I am writing in response to the notice of intention to prosecute letter dated XXX.



Reference: XXX



On [date], I made a journey from [location] to [location] using an e-ticket with the 16-25 railcard applied and upon inspection by a Revenue Protection Inspector, I was unable to provide a valid ticket, as at the time I did not have a 16-25 railcard. I sincerely apologise for my dishonesty.



I take full responsibility for my actions and I now understand the severity of my actions and how it can negatively impact the rail industry, such as causing significant costs. I respect and acknowledge the importance of adhering to Govia Thameslink's rules in regards to tickets and travelling. I greatly regret my dishonesty and I am extremely sorry for the trouble I have caused.



I have purchased my own 16-25 railcard now and I have ensured the proper use of my railcard on my journeys and will continue to do so.



I am completely dedicated to cooperating with any further steps needed to resolve this issue and I am more than willing to pay any further costs arising from this matter. I humbly ask if this matter could be considered without the need for court action.



Sincerely,

Also I would like to ask do I need to mention that I lied and told the inspector that I had left my railcard at home and thats why i was unable to show him?

Looks pretty good to me - ref your final question, I would be tempted not to mention that original lie.

 

[notmyrealname]

A minor point on your letter. I would put their reference under 'Dear Sir/Madam' and before 'I am writing..'

 

[Ereaser24]

Thank you for the above replies.

I wanted to ask should i include the part where i uploaded a picture of my railcard on the website they provided to show evidence of my railcard. Will they see it as I tried to trick them and expect me to address it in my respinse?

I bought it instantly after i got caught and uploaded it.

 

[Titfield]

Thank you for the above replies.

I wanted to ask should i include the part where i uploaded a picture of my railcard on the website they provided to show evidence of my railcard. Will they see it as I tried to trick them and expect me to address it in my respinse?

I bought it instantly after i got caught and uploaded it.

You should not incriminate yourself however if you are caught in a lie it is better to be honest.

Perhaps you should say that you immediately purchased the railcard and that you now know it was not valid for the ticket you had previously purchased and presented to the ticket inspector.