Notice of intention to prosecute GTR

[jelly28]

Hi all,

I am truly ashamed that I had to find my way onto this site. Safe to say I have definitely learned my lesson and will not be making this mistake again in the future.

I was travelling on xxxxxxx and did not have a valid ticket as I only purchased the tickets from xxxxxxxx - essentially short fareing. I was stopped and questioned by the officer where they asked for my Name and address and asked me questions like “did u have a valid ticket?”. I cooperated with their questions and answered truthfully in that I had not purchased the full ticket. They took pictures of the bookings I made and gave me the witness receipt and told me I should receive a letter.

I am even more ashamed by the fact that I have done this on 3 other occasions which they saw in my bookings and I am so embarrassed and ashamed to have gotten myself into this situation. I think they will probably investigate these three other instances.

This is the first time this has happened to me and I am stressing myself out because I really don’t want it to go to court because my whole career will be ruined. I understand that I am completely in the wrong but I am really hoping there is a chance for this to be settled out of court. I have learned from my mistake and could really use some help.

I have had a look at some of the other threads and drafted a response below. I have seen mixed responses on whether or not to reveal the other unpaid journeys so any advice would be greatly appreciated. This situation only happened today and so I have not received the letter yet - does anyone have a rough idea of the timescales and what to expect?

Once again i acknowledge how stupid I was and that I was in the wrong but if there is a chance this can be settled smoothly and without a criminal record then that would be great.

_______
Dear Govia Thameslink Railway,





I would like to start by saying I apologize for not having the correct ticket on this occasion and I thank you for taking the time to read this letter



On the xxxxxxxr I travelled from xxxxxxx without a valid ticket and was ticketed by a travel officer.



First of all, I would like to sincerely apologise for my behaviour. I deeply regret it and will never even think of doing it again in the future. I have made sure to purchase the correct tickets for travel since this incident. I am incredibly ashamed that I got myself into this scary situation, and it has made me reflect on my own behaviour and truly see how disgraceful it is to try to take advantage of a service I use frequently.

After reading about how the effects of fare evasion on the rail service I now fully understand the seriousness of fare evasion and its impact on the Thameslink service, I am truly embarrassed that I ended up contributing to it and will definitely not be making the same mistake again in the future.

(Should I mention this next part if they bring up the other incomplete journeys?)
Regrettably there are 3 other instances in which I have attempted to “short ticket” a return journey. Once again I am very ashamed of my actions and realise how stupid it was. In order to rectify this situation I have gone back and looked at the journeys I have made. Below are the other days in which I had an invalid ticket and the price I should have paid (with a 16-25 railcard which I own).


[Times and ticket prices here]


I would be most grateful if you would be prepared to allow me to settle this matter out of court and I am very willing to pay any sum that Thameslink sees fit to resolve the matter as well as any administrative costs in dealing with this issue.



Many thanks,

NAME

 

[John R]

You will need to see what the letter says in respect of other journeys when it comes, and tailor your answer accordingly. It’s very likely that they will have discovered your other journeys by looking at your account, but sometimes we only see settlements where they have (maybe surprisingly) not delved deeper than the instance where the person was stopped.

 

[Hadders]

Welcome to the forum!

Your proposed letter looks ok but don't send anything to GTR until they write to you. Come back here when their letters arrive and we can take things from there.

 

[jelly28]

Is it better to mention how detrimental a criminal record would be to my career as I have only just graduated and work in finance or will they just consider it as a sob story?

 

[notmyrealname]

It risks sounding like a sob story, I would say. They would be entitled to wonder why you didn't think about how important your career is before you engaged in fare evasion.

 

[Hadders]

Is it better to mention how detrimental a criminal record would be to my career as I have only just graduated and work in finance or will they just consider it as a sob story?

My view is it sounds like a sob story. GTR will not care about the impact on your career.

Thankfully for you, GTR normally offer an out of court settlement in cases like this.

 

[jelly28]

Another question - I am going on holiday between 23rd -31st December. What should I do if the letter doesn’t arrive by then? I am worried I will not have enough time to respond to it if it arrives while I’m away

 

[Titfield]

Another question - I am going on holiday between 23rd -31st December. What should I do if the letter doesn’t arrive by then? I am worried I will not have enough time to respond to it if it arrives while I’m away

Most companies recognise that individuals may be away during the Christmas Holidays and adjust the deadline for response accordingly.

 

[WesternLancer]

Another question - I am going on holiday between 23rd -31st December. What should I do if the letter doesn’t arrive by then? I am worried I will not have enough time to respond to it if it arrives while I’m away

I wouldn’t worry too much ref that time window. If you take the Sundays and bank holidays out postal deliveries would only be on about 4 or 5 of those days anyway so as long as you reply quickly after you return home I would think that is ok.

 

[AlterEgo]

Is it better to mention how detrimental a criminal record would be to my career as I have only just graduated and work in finance or will they just consider it as a sob story?

It is not relevant at all; if you work in a controlled industry arguably it is in the public interest to prosecute you. I'd keep that bit quiet.

 

[jelly28]

Hi everyone, I have received the letter asking to explain my point of view - I have written a draft below… could you let me know if it is ok? Is it worth mentioning the other times I didn’t have a correct ticket or should I only reference this one incident?

______________
Dear Fare evasion manager,





I would like to start by saying I apologize for not having the correct ticket on this occasion and I thank you for taking the time to read this letter



On the xxxxxxxr I travelled from xxxxxxx without a valid ticket and was interviewed by the revenue protection officer at the gates.



First of all, I would like to sincerely apologise for my behaviour. I deeply regret it and will never even think of doing it again in the future. I have made sure to purchase the correct tickets for travel since this incident. I am incredibly ashamed that I got myself into this scary situation, and it has made me reflect on my own behaviour and truly see how disgraceful it is to try to take advantage of a service I use frequently.

After reading about the effects of fare evasion on the rail service I now fully understand the seriousness of the matter and its impact on the Thameslink service, I am truly embarrassed and disappointed with my actions and will definitely not be making the same mistake again in the future.

I would be most grateful if you would give me the chance to settle this matter out of court as I am willing to cooperate and pay any outstanding amounts and any administrative costs in dealing with this matter



Many thanks,

NAME

 

[BazingaTribe]

There are a lot of 'truly's in there. You're obviously sorry, but it begins to tip over into insincerity when it comes up more than once. I'd start with something like

...I am truly sorry for what I did. Having read up about the impact of fare evasion on the railway, I understand that what I did was wrong, and since the incident I have bought the right ticket each time. I would be very grateful if I could settle this matter out of court...

after the formalities and explanation of the incident and before the closing salutations.

That way, you are certainly not minimising or dismissing the incident, but you don't sound like you are going so far overboard on the shame it starts to sound like you are being performative. From personal experience in both directions, it doesn't actually make it easier for people to accept apologies if you go on about it -- what they want to know is that you understand the situation and won't do it again. Your self-deprecating shame is not their problem.

But good job handling this in general. Don't just copy my template and send it off -- wait for others to chip in. But this is definitely a case of 'least said, soonest mended' -- keep your dignity intact here and sort this out and make changes to the way you deal with tickets. Best of luck and let us know how you get on.

 

[jelly28]

Thanks for the tips - is this better?

Dear Fare evasion manager,





I would like to start by saying I apologize for not having the correct ticket on this occasion and I thank you for taking the time to read this letter



On the xxxxxxxr I travelled from xxxxxxx without a valid ticket and was interviewed by the revenue protection officer at the gates.



I would like to sincerely apologise for my behaviour. I deeply regret it and will never even think of doing it again in the future. I have made sure to purchase the correct tickets for travel since this incident.

After reading about the effects of fare evasion on the rail service I now fully understand the seriousness of the matter and its impact on the Thameslink service.

I would be most grateful if you would give me the chance to settle this matter out of court as I am willing to cooperate and pay any outstanding amounts and any administrative costs in dealing with this matter



Many thanks,

NAME

 

[BazingaTribe]

That's better. Wait for more input but that's much more sincere sounding and concise.

 

[notmyrealname]

One pedantic point. You've put 'apologize' in paragraph 1 and 'apologise' in paragraph 3.

 

[jelly28]

Also do I send the original letter back with my response and my name signed on the bottom?

I want to try to send it out by the end of the week to ensure it gets delivered on time and hopefully gets sorted soon

 

[WesternLancer]

Also do I send the original letter back with my response and my name signed on the bottom?

I want to try to send it out by the end of the week to ensure it gets delivered on time and hopefully gets sorted soon

The general advice given here is if you send the letter they sent you back and sign it etc but your response is on a separate sheet (eg printed off) write on their letter 'please see attached response' and then on your attached response be sure to include your full name, full postal address, and any ref number and also sign it.

IE take precautions against pages getting separated and lost their end in their office by mistake.

Then also keep copies of everything you send them (including a copy of their letter if you send their original letter back)

Then send it by tracked post (from a post office) so you can prove it got to them if you need to do so, and know yourself that they have received it.

Make it as easy as you can for them to deal with your case. It's in your interest to do so.

 

[jelly28]

how much detail should I go in with for the reason I got stopped? Should I mention the exact tickets I had bought or is it enough to say I had a "invalid ticket"

Also, do I mention the other days for which I did not have a valid ticket? or just refer to the one instance?

I have edited the response slightly. Please let me know if I should change anything:

______________________
To Fare evasion manager,
This is a response to a letter dated 20th January 2025 I received. I would like to start by saying thank you for taking the time to read this letter and I would like to apologise for not having the correct ticket on this occasion.

On the 1st November I travelled from Luton to City Thameslink and was subsequently stopped at the gates and interviewed by the revenue protection officer and was unable to produce a valid ticket as it was a short ticket that did not cover my whole journey.

I sincerely apologise for this poor error in judgement, I take full responsibility and can’t blame anyone but myself. I deeply regret it and will never even think of doing it again in the future.

After reading about the effects of fare evasion on the rail service I now fully understand the seriousness of the matter and its impact on the Thameslink service. I am actively making an effort to make sure nothing like this happens again. Since this incident I have made sure to purchase the correct tickets for every journey I make.

I would be extremely grateful if you would give me the chance to settle this matter out of court as I am very much willing to cooperate and pay any outstanding amounts and any administrative costs in dealing with this matter.

Yours faithfully,

 

[WesternLancer]

how much detail should I go in with for the reason I got stopped? Should I mention the exact tickets I had bought or is it enough to say I had a "invalid ticket"

Also, do I mention the other days for which I did not have a valid ticket? or just refer to the one instance?

I have edited the response slightly. Please let me know if I should change anything:

______________________
To Fare evasion manager,
This is a response to a letter dated 20th January 2025 I received. I would like to start by saying thank you for taking the time to read this letter and I would like to apologise for not having the correct ticket on this occasion.

On the 1st November I travelled from Luton to City Thameslink and was subsequently stopped at the gates and interviewed by the revenue protection officer and was unable to produce a valid ticket as it was a short ticket that did not cover my whole journey.

I sincerely apologise for this poor error in judgement, I take full responsibility and can’t blame anyone but myself. I deeply regret it and will never even think of doing it again in the future.

After reading about the effects of fare evasion on the rail service I now fully understand the seriousness of the matter and its impact on the Thameslink service. I am actively making an effort to make sure nothing like this happens again. Since this incident I have made sure to purchase the correct tickets for every journey I make.

I would be extremely grateful if you would give me the chance to settle this matter out of court as I am very much willing to cooperate and pay any outstanding amounts and any administrative costs in dealing with this matter.

Yours faithfully,

I’d not go into too much detail at all ref what you did wrong (why write your own guilty admission in detail). You could probably drop all of the second para.

They want to know:
You’ve learned your lesson
Won’t do it again
Will pay them what you evaded

Those are the bases to focus on.

 

[jelly28]

thank you! I will try to send it off today, if not tomorrow… I just really want to get it over and done with so I can move on with a little less stress

I have seen that my letter was delivered today - does anyone know roughly how long it takes to hear a response?

 

[WesternLancer]

thank you! I will try to send it off today, if not tomorrow… I just really want to get it over and done with so I can move on with a little less stress

I have seen that my letter was delivered today - does anyone know roughly how long it takes to hear a response?

If you look at other Thameslink threads where people have updated you can work out the rough timeline to get an idea.

 

[jelly28]

Is it worth sending an email to check if they have received my letter? My tracking says it was received on Monday but I haven’t heard anything and the 2 week deadline to write back is on 4th Feb.

I’m just worried in case they lost it or haven’t seen it yet

 

[Fawkes Cat]

Is it worth sending an email to check if they have received my letter? My tracking says it was received on Monday but I haven’t heard anything and the 2 week deadline to write back is on 4th Feb.

I’m just worried in case they lost it or haven’t seen it yet

Hang on to the tracking evidence: this proves that the railway have received your letter, so if they've lost it that's their problem.

If the railway come back to you with the suggestion that you did not reply, then send them a copy of your previous letter and your tracking evidence, and point out that you did reply at the right time and that they got the letter.

 

[jelly28]

I sent an email asking to confirm if they received the letter but I haven’t heard anything back yet, nor have I seen anything in the post and it has been over a week since they received the letter. Is this a normal waiting time after sending back the letter?

 

[Hadders]

It can take a few weeks for GTR to get back to you so no need to worry at this time.

 

[jelly28]

Hi, it has been just over 3 weeks now since they received the letter but I haven’t heard anything by email or post… is it worth emailing again to see if I’ve missed anything?

 

[WesternLancer]

Hi, it has been just over 3 weeks now since they received the letter but I haven’t heard anything by email or post… is it worth emailing again to see if I’ve missed anything?

I suspect you need to think about 4-6 weeks before you get overly concerned about not hearing back from them.

 

[Spaceship323]

No it isn't in your interests to remind GTR of your case (they might forget or lose the paperwork) and you have proof that your letter was delivered so I'd just wait for their next letter, they have six months from the time of an offence to decide what to do, nothing you do can speed-up the process I'm afraid

 

[jelly28]

Hi guys, I checked the payment link in the email to pay an out of court settlement and it seems like my reference number works now and I might be able to pay it- i haven’t received a letter to pay it yet so I was wondering if it is best to just use the website now and pay or wait for the letter to arrive?

 

[Fawkes Cat]

Hi guys, I checked the payment link in the email to pay an out of court settlement and it seems like my reference number works now and I might be able to pay it- i haven’t received a letter to pay it yet so I was wondering if it is best to just use the website now and pay or wait for the letter to arrive?

I would guess that there's good chance that there's a letter or an email on its way to you. My suggestion would be to wait a couple of days to see if anything comes through the post (and check your email spam box in case there's anything there): if something does show up that might give you some more guidance but if by maybe the end of the week you haven't heard anything, then pay it. I'd expect that to be the end of the matter, but just in case make sure you hang on to all the correspondence you have had, and proof that you have paid (screenshot or an email receipt) so if you need to argue about it later, you have the evidence to hand.