Short Faring - How likely to be prosecuted?

[Ow1997]

I travelled this morning from West Byfleet to Waterloo. I usually travel from Weybridge to Waterloo (I buy a ticket every week for work).

On this occasion due to a family emergency the night before I stayed at my parents and had to travel from West Byfleet to Waterloo (one stop before Weybridge and around £2.90 ticket difference).

I was running late and just made the train and was approached by a ticket inspector. I politely explained the situation and apologised for the error on my ticket. I offered to pay the £2.90 difference or whatever penalty it entailed however he took my details and explained I would receive a letter.

I’ve never had any issues with SWR and this is my first “offence” - how likely is it I will receive a hefty fine for this?

Thank you in advance.

 

[WesternLancer]

I travelled this morning from West Byfleet to Waterloo. I usually travel from Weybridge to Waterloo (I buy a ticket every week for work).

On this occasion due to a family emergency the night before I stayed at my parents and had to travel from West Byfleet to Waterloo (one stop before Weybridge and around £2.90 ticket difference).

I was running late and just made the train and was approached by a ticket inspector. I politely explained the situation and apologised for the error on my ticket. I offered to pay the £2.90 difference or whatever penalty it entailed however he took my details and explained I would receive a letter.

I’ve never had any issues with SWR and this is my first “offence” - how likely is it I will receive a hefty fine for this?

Thank you in advance.

Hi and welcome - you will get good advice on here as to what to do and what your options are.

You will most likely be sent a hard copy letter that looks like a threat to prosecute but is also your opportunity to put your side of the story. It is vital that you get this letter and respond to it promptly. See other threads for examples.

Your response is your opportunity to plead with them not to prosecute you and ask if they would be kind enough to settle the matter out of court. If they agree (they are not obliged to, but there is a good chance they probably will) they will expect you to pay the full fare for the trip concerned, at the 'Anytime' fare price (the most expensive priced ticket) + a fee to cover their admin costs of c£150 perhaps. You would be expected to pay in full and promptly. If it went to court the sum you would pay would be higher and you would also receive a criminal record.

Your objective must be to secure an out of court settlement if you can.

As an aside you have not really short fared in the way deliberate fare evaders do - since you have a season ticket from your regular station of departure, but you failed to buy a ticket for the one off 'extra leg' you undertook due to starting beyond your season's validity on this occasion. But it is still of course a ticketing offence as you were travelling on that section of your journey without a ticket.

The reason they would not accept your offer to pay £2.90 fare is that an evader would never buy a ticket apart from the occasional time they were asked to show one, didn't have one and could then buy when they were detected on occasional instances of being detected.

When you get the letter from the railway head back here for advice on how best to word your response. In the meantime it would be worth having a look through some other threads so you get the idea of what to do.

Good luck with getting this sorted.

 

[Ow1997]

Hey there, thank you for your reply - really appreciated. Will come back once the letter is received.

 

[WesternLancer]

Hey there, thank you for your reply - really appreciated. Will come back once the letter is received.

Presume you gave correct name and address, and they recorded that correctly in order to send the letter out - as far as you know of course.

 

[Ow1997]

Presume you gave correct name and address, and they recorded that correctly in order to send the letter out - as far as you know of course.

Yes they took my driving licence which is all up to date - do you know roughly how long it takes to come?

 

[ikcdab]

Anytime up to a few months. There is no rule.