Hi all...Earlier in March I travelled Super off peak single with a railcard that was a couple of weeks out of date. I didn't realise until I hopped on the train. I recieved a letter this morning from FGW telling me they are preparing the case for court! If i am convicted of an offence I could be ordered to pay a fine of £1000 and/or be sentenced to 3 months imprisoment. Basically I think it's completley unjust that they are charging me £160.95 as I already payed the original fare just my railcard was out of date! I think this is completley taking the P@**S! Please help if you know of anything I can do as I can't afford this money!!! Thanks I really look forward to hearing a response, I am prepared to go to court as I feel it's so unjust for them to force me to pay this when I don't have the money - does anybody know what will happen? Thanks

Hello, your help would be much appreciated. I recently travelled on a Chiltern Railways train out of Marylebone and was threatened with prosecution for attempting to re-use a ticket i later realised had already been used. This was a genuine inadvertent attempt as my wallet is always rammed full of unexpired tickets as i don't always use return legs. However, in this case, clearly according to their technology i had already used it. Here's what happened... After being thwarted at the barrier, I asked one of the train employees nearby why it didn't work (at this stage i was genuinely confused as to why the barrier had not opened when the ticket was in-date), he scanned the ticket and told me that it had already been used. After some general confusion and bewilderment by me, he then requested my details (name, address and d.o.b.) which i wrote on a scrap bit of paper he handed me. At this point, i thought he was going to let me through and send me proof/details of the journey via post and, if it were shown that i had used the ticket, a bill/fare notice etc. This was not the case, however, as he then explained that my details were to be passed to their legal team to decide on whether i should be prosecuted. I was now in shock, although remained calm and was never rude, aggressive or obtuse. He was not wearing a name badge and so i asked what his name was. He initially said that i didn't need his name as it was nothing to do with him: i was going to be dealing with the legal/prosecution team, he said. But after a repeated request he wrote his name on a scrap of paper. (FYI - I was not issued with a penalty notice or summons and was given no official warning/caution or confirmation receipt/notice etc.) By this stage, i had missed the train i had planned to get and so with nothing more to say i walked off to the main waiting area of the station and waited for the next train. When the next train arrived i used another of the unstamped in-date tickets in my wallet and, fortunately, the barriers opened...! N.B. Chiltern railways seemingly check and stamp/mark tickets about 99% of the time, and so when i pulled out an unstamped ticket from my wallet i naturally assumed it hadn't been used. What can i expect to happen? Will i get some sort of penalty fare (although i'm not sure how this would work because Chiltern Railways hasn't lost out i.e. i wasn't actually aboard the train) or will they prosecute? I've read stories that these companies take a 'zero tolerance' approach. Please, please advise?? This was a genuine mistake. I totally unknowingly and unwittingly attempted to use the ticket a second time. I am not a "fare dodger" and feel that this could be proved by looking at my recent travel, backed up by ticket purchases. I have no previous convictions and have never received a penalty fare notice before. Thank you very much in advance for your help. Best regards, Chiltern Traveller!

Let me begin by saying what an idiot I have been. I was traveling on the train from A to C. I got on the train and requested the conductor for a ticket. His machine was not working and asked me to buy a ticket once I get off. I got off at my station and went to the counter to buy a ticket. In what can be described as a momentarily lapse of thinking, I said I got on at station B. Since station B is manned at all time, I could not have got on to the train and hence I was caught. The person at the ticket counter took a copy of my university ID card and I scribbled my address on a piece of paper. There was no RPO or any other authority involved and no cautions read out to me. All the officer at the ticket counter said was that I will be prosecuted. I am scared that this might lead to a criminal conviction and affect my future. I will not challenge any fine, but can a prosecution be brought about in this manner? Any help on this will be much appreciated.

Hi, The other day I was caught without a ticket once I had left the train, I was cautioned and had a statement taken. If I would have stopped to get a ticket before boarding I would have missed it so thought I would get one from the conductor, who never reached me. I know that this shouldnt be done and that you should purchase from stations when available and I am not disputing the fact that Northern have a case against me. I have not yet received a letter but when I do does it always end up in court or can you settle out of court?

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