Good day all, I'm in a bit of a panic here. I have a £4500 season ticket with SWT. I managed to lose it about 1 month into the ticket and was interviewed by revenue protection and subsequently given a replacement. Last night as I got up to let a lady off I folded the tray back with my season ticket in there and forgot to take it down again before getting off leaving my ticket on the train. Realising my mistake I tried to call the guard and SWT 30 mins after. However there were no numbers I could get through to. I spoke to the guard this morning and he advised that I wouldn't be given a duplicate and I would have to buy a new season ticket as I'd already had one replacement. My current season ticket had until June to run, so about £1500 worth of travel. I've got a new daughter being born soon and I can't afford the travel to get to work. Surely SWT can't refuse to let me travel? I've paid for the service not the ticket right? Is there anyone who can offer me any advice on how to go about coming to a resolution which doesn't end up putting me into debt or losing my job! Any advice greatly appreciated!!! thank you T

Hi guys, I'm having an issue over my student oystercard usage. I received an email on the 8th of November stating that i would need to interview at a southwest trains station with regard to "several incomplete journeys" with relation to my oystercard. Admittedly there does appear to be instances, based on my oystercard transcript showing me tapping my oystercard in at one station and not tapping out. I have never been approached by a ticket inspector etc without a valid ticket, and i have never intentionally travelled without a valid ticket. My question is can i be prosecuted based on my oyster card transcript alone, I remember a couple of occasions were i have tapped in and not gone through because I instead decided to return home. It is also possible someone else may have used my oystercard without my knowledge. I have spoken to a lawyer who has spoken to the swt prosecutor and he has said there were gaps with no recorded oyster card validation or ticket purchase, he also said if i did not attend the interview that he (the prosecutor) would apply for a consideration for prosecution under bye law 18.1. thanks for your thoughts in advance. First time posting so if this is the wrong place etc let me know and sorry!

Hi there , yesterday on the 1/07/2016 , i boarded a train from llansamlet to Cardiff , there was no conductor on the train , as I arrived in Cardiff I had to go to the unpaid fair's desk , as I was there about to buy my ticket I had a stupid moment of madness and told the guy at the ticket office that I boarded on Bridgend but he caught me out by saying that there were ticket tolls at Bridgend and I completely froze , I then got taken by a transport investigations officer she gave me a quick interview and asked me questions in regards to what just happened , I told her I was sorry and that it was a stupid thing to do and I even offered to pay for the fair there and then but she said no because the repercussions of this will be a lot more ' hefty' . The lady told me that I would receive a letter which I must respond to giving my side of the story , I have seen many posts where people have been summoned to court . Has anyone got any advice for me when I respond to this letter in what I should say or do should I attach a payment invoice covering the fair and the admin fee ? , I have a feeling cause I lied to them they are going to take me to court no matter what I say . If I do go to court what would the outcome be ? I have never had an encounter in this manner with the Arriva trains wales before this is the first time I have done something like this . I have encountered with the police for something silly in December which I had a fine for will that effects me if this goes to court ? I was really idiotic to even lie about where I boarded and it is something that I would not do again . If anyone can help me out and advise me I would greatly appreciate it . Thanks Shaun

I purchased a ticket before travelling today, only to discover that my train was cancelled and the next one wasn't due for an hour. I went to a member of station staff, asking who I should speak to about receiving a partial refund due to the delay. My ticket was then taken from me and they wrote on the front of it that it wasn't valid. I looked for the station manager to complain, but I was told that I would have to purchase another ticket if I wished to travel. I was then told that, as my new ticket was purchased after the cancelled train was due, I would no longer be entitled to a refund. I have been delayed by an hour and have had to pay twice as much for the privilege of waiting over an hour for a train. Is there anything that I can do from this point?

My partner and I have planned to take his three children to Paris for Christmas as their present this year and have prepaid for the Eurostar and trains within the UK - the children are quite distressed by the attacks that have happened and we do not think it is appropriate to take them now because they will be fearful and it will be a city of mourning and we feel that it will not be the 'magical' trip we had intended for them. Unfortunately, Eurostar will not refund us our tickets (£445) - is there anything we can do about this?

My daughter has received a pre-court action letter from First Great Western. It states that she is in breach of the Regulations of Railways Act 1889 and requires a payment of £84.70 within 21 days. £80 of this is a charge towards costs incurred. I am rather upset at this as she did try to pay at the station she departed from and was unable to as no staff were manning the ticket office - they had put up a sign - and no one came through the train during her journey to enable her to buy a ticket. Also just to confirm – she waited in the queue with 4 others until the train arrived into the station, and then there was a run for the platform. When my daughter arrived at her destination station – she was stopped and did not have a ticket. My daughter explained she did not have a ticket and the reason. She was not given an option to purchase a ticket, but instead the ‘Inspector’ took her name and address and this letter entitled Pre-Court Action is this next communication we have received. I am happy to pay the fare, and do not understand why this option was not offered to her when she explained about the unmanned station which has no ticket machine. I do have an issue with paying £80 for a template letter. I have a photo of the sign that was displayed at St. Erth station (where she got on), and records should show that a conductor had not gone through the train in the 3 stops she was on the train Do I have any hope of fighting the admin charge – I feel it is not representative of the time/effort of sending a template letter? Thanks in advance.

Hi, I hope you can provide me with some advice. I have just received an intention to prosecute letter from Govia Thameslink Railways. Offences listed are: giving a false name & address & entering a train without a ticket. They are asking for my side of the story. I feel really scared about this! I always travel with a Zone 2-5 travel card & use the tube & overground, not rail. When I come into Zone 1 on the tube I always have approx. £10 on extra just in case & if short, just keep topping up the £10 when it prompts me at the barriers. I went out with my partner after work and came back on Thameslink from Blackfriars to Kings Cross. I didn't really take much notice & assumed it was like the Overground. My oyster card did not beep at the barrier & I proceeded assuming I had the required amount to cover me for Zone 1 travel. Arriving at Kings Cross my oyster card beeped at the barrier & I asked a member of staff where I could top up my card. I was then passed to another member of staff to one side and that is when it all went wrong.... The officer was a very poor communicator & coupled with my rising panic and stress levels it was a recipe for disaster. I heard the words '£20' penalty, caution, prosecution and panicked. Two other officers joined in and were not helpful. I couldn't understand why they couldn't explain the full process to me & my options and I was adamant that I would not pay a fine when I had nothing wrong. I had no intent to fare evade and it all seemed complete nonsense. I explained that if they looked at my oyster history they could see my travel patterns which would corroborate my story. The officer started filling in a form and was asking me to sign & pay & I refused. He asked for my name & address as it was a prosecutable offence & In a moment of madness I gave him a false one, however I told him it was a false one at that time because I didn't feel I should be prosecuted when I hadn't tried to evade paying my fare. After nearly 45 minutes of heated discussion I asked them to call the transport police, which they did. The police woman calmly explained the full process to me, including the purpose of cautioning me to answer questions. I told her I was unhappy with the customer service and communication I had received and why I had been questioned for so long before this part happened. The rail officer then cautioned me- which was awful. He then tried to get me to sign the form stating he would fill the answers later, which I protested about and showed the police officer. I then made him complete every field before I would sign- this took two more attempts. I still don't really understand why I was going to be fined £20 for being £2.80 short on my travel card, which I was more than happy to pay but never given the chance other than that is our policy. I know my actions were stupid, but I was stressed, scared and a bit outraged. I'm still scared & have been ever since, whilst watching the post for a letter. I'm 48 year old mother, who works a 50 hour week running a busy public sector department with over 200 staff. I would have to declare this criminal record & could potentially lose my job, ruin my credit rating, never get another job or mortgage & bring shame on my family. My family also live in the USA & this would also prevent me from being able to visit them, even though my step mom is unwell. The last 18 months have been very stressful as my father died suddenly, mother is end stage Alzheimer's, my brother has been diagnosed with early onset dementia and his wife has just died. I am applying for deputy ship & LPA for them and trying to support my nieces & nephews through a difficult time. My ex partner has been sectioned in a mental health unit post suicide attempt and I am still trying to ensure my daughter maintains some form of healthy relationship with him and she is starting her GCSE's. I have been on anti depressants and therapy but feel this could be the last straw. Please, please, can you tell me what to do as I don't feel I deserve this for an unintentional mistake followed by a moment of panicked madness? Thank you

Good evening, thank you for taking the time to read this. Any advice would be very gratefully received! In what is probably a familiar story for the regulars on this forum, I have come seeking advice having been stopped without a train ticket. I was interviewed under caution and having spent the day reading the internet in a panic am now expecting a summons in the next few weeks. I hope I've understood the usual process, but would be grateful for confirmation. To provide a little detail, I had been to the dentist in the next town over and dropped by car, but needed to get back to the office. A train arrived whilst i was queueing to buy a ticket so I got on. This is not uncommon in this area where buying a ticket on the train is often required, and trains are infrequent by London standards. I enquired of a conveniently placed member of transport police if this train was going the right way and sat opposite another (you'd think that might have nudged me out of my stupor) I didn't attempt to find the guard. Jumped off train 4 mins later and with no further thought headed towards my office. At which point I was promptly stopped & read my rights by another chap by the exit (no barriers here). Assuming I was about to be fined on the spot, I was polite and accepted that I had no ticket etc. I didn't attempt to run, talk my way out of it, or offer to buy a ticket. Instead he interviewed me under caution (PACE I assume) and sent me on my way. I now see that my existing understanding of how ticketing processes work in practice, is somewhat different from the legal situation. Today i was (very) stupid rather than malicious, but that is no defence and if this reaches court I would inevitably have to plead guilty. I am saving for a house, so even a 1000 pound fine would not be a complete disaster as I could pay it from savings. As ever, the criminal record is the big problem for future employment & mortgage. Would you suggest that i 1 - do nothing now except await the inevitable letter 2 - but then be ready to immediately send a grovelling letter and offer to settle out of court should I receive a summons Many thanks in advance for any advice (sympathy neither required nor expected), will happily provide any other useful details if required. Cost of journey was practically nothing & I have no previous record or penalty fares, speeding tickets etc.

Hi all I have my monthly season ticket from norwood junction to fleet NOT via london. other week i heard someone saying on train that one of the barriers at london waterloo accepts tickets not via london. I used them and i was observed by a RPA of southwest trains walking all through platform 1 till plat form 19 and using barriers there. He confronted me and gave me a receipt which says i will be hearing form SOUTH WEST TRAINS . I have never come across any situation like this before and i literally stood shaking when he was asking me questions I ended up signing the receipt which explains that i walked all the way form platform 1 to platform 19 to use my ticket which is not via london.Receipt also says i tried to skip payment of 1.60 pounds. i was so tensed and i was shaking when he was confrnting,when he asked me to fill in details,i did by mistake enter wrong DOB.I am even worried about that. I was told i will be receiving letter from SW trains within 3 weeks. I am so getting worried and tensed , seeing all these posts. Please someone explain to me about the process. My application for passport is under consideration I dont want get into criminal records.I know i did a mistake stupidly. IS there any way to avoid it to settle out of the court?etc? I am so embarrassed about myself & deeply feeling guilty about what i did for sake of just 1.60 pounds . ONE IMPORTANT THING is why should any barriers accept tickets which are not via london?ITS FAULT in the system. should i meet any solicitor regarding this or should i wait for letter from SW. how much time it will take them to write to me? Please some one HELP... I am SCARED.... I AM REALLY SORRY for wat i DID.... i dont knw what to do now

Hi, many thanks for your time, I am extremely sorry for what happened and grateful if someone could help me. Unfortunately I did not get the full coverage with my ticket for my journey to work which was a mixture of oyster card and train ticket, the oyster card should have been zone 1-6 and it was 1-2 instead and I had the train ticket for last 2 stations of my journey An inspector caught me, I gave him my correct details and I tried to explain I didnt know it was not correct and that I was very sorry. He also asked me more questions,like since when I did it assuming it was for 12 months, I answered I didnt remember honestly I didnt sign the report because im not english, I was very scared and not fully understanding After a month a received a letter from the prosecution department, for the second interview. I got this letter after two weeks as I wasnt home and now I am trying to call the inspector or the department but one goes to voicemail (I left couple of messages), the department doesnt pick up. I just wanna confirm the interview (which should be next week) and get the chance on the phone to say how deeply (and I'd add i am genuinely) sorry I am for this massive and shameful mistake. I dont know what to do, I have never had problems with law and its very shameful that I made such a awful mistake, I am already punishing myself enough so no need for nasty comments ((( I cant manage to talk to them even to confirm the interview and Im extremely worried I will end up in court with a criminal record which will destroy everything good I have done so far. I dont know much about uk law and I dont fully understand the legal terms. Please could somebody give me some tips ?

Hi, I'm looking for some advice on a problem that has affected me. I'll begin from the start. I ordered a Stagecoach Smartcard (part of EMT so i gather) so i could commute to school (I'm 16) by Train. I went to use it as i went to my volunteer position on a Heritage Railway, I thought it worked like a trentbarton MANGO card, I scanned it on and the scanner bleeped at me so i thought i'd recieve a bill through the post or something (first time using one). I got on my train and as the Ticket Inspector walked down i explained what i had done and asked her if it was OK, she later turned out to be a Revenue Protection Officer for EMT. She took my card and said that the card was only for season tickets but took it and phoned the card place. She said there was no ticket on the card so i offered to pay for a paper one, she refused and said it's too late. She then got me off the train at Derby Station (I started at Long Eaton, commuting to Belper) and took me to the front desk. I asked her if i could use a phone to call my parent and she said she'd check my details and be a few minutes then i could. I gave her my details and version of events in full. I got my phone out (with no credit) to get my parent's number out and she said i couldn't use her phone because i had one, she said that i had a phone and im trying to waste her time. She even threatened to call the police and my volunteer work and 'see what they thought of it' in the end she said she'd be reporting it and i'd get a letter in the post to take me to court. I made her fully aware i was 16 and asked her for ID so i could write down her name, She flashed her name badge (pinned onto her shirt) at me and shouted 'I'm ****** and i'm a REVENUE PROTECTION OFFICER!' (Don't know if i'm allowed to post names). Afterwards when i got to my volunteers position (late) and spoke to two volunteers (One a Magistrate and one a former Police Officer) and they said what she did was out of order and they probably wouldn't do anything because of her behaviour (shouting, refusing me access to a phone, questioning me without a responsible adult, not showing me a badge of authority or cautioning me and apparently anything i said to her was inadmissible in court). Any advice? I'm still waiting on the letter. Thanks, Alphoria

Not your usual story... Had purchased a ticket earlier this month from London Euston to Windermere via Oxenholme on a Virgin train. It is one of those "book 'em early, buy it cheap" with a "no refund, no changes, specified train" only ticket. Travel plans have changed slightly and I decided I wanted to end up in Penrith, the next stop up the west coast line from Oxenholme. Popped in to my local railway station to see if I could purchase a ticket to cover me for the short distance involved on the train I was already booked to travel on. The answer: Yes, the fare will be £6.50 (approx). Great, I'll go for that, so the guy tries to book the ticket and print it out for me. At which point, technology and gremlins kick up a fuss and promptly spit him out. The help and advice of a colleague was called upon, and despite further assistance, no ticket was forthcoming. Couldn't even book the next class of ticket up despite the screen showing availability... Thirty minutes of our time had been spent trying to negotiate the uncooperative booking system and the staff were fast running out of both options and patience. The only practical option left was to issue an excess fare ticket . Didn't like the sound of that As it was about the only option open at the time, new tickets were printed off and handed over - The excess fare payable ? A grand total of £0.00 A word of thanks to the ticket office staff for their help above and beyond what I had expected.

Hi all, Hoping someone will give me some advise. I have been summoned to court for fare evading with the intent to avoid payment. I travel almost everyday from London Waterloo to Farnborough Main Station for the past six months. On a Monday morning I was caught up in the underground with delays longer than expected and reached London Waterloo with very few minutes to spare till I miss my train, and be late to my meeting at a new job. The queues at the self service ticket machines were extremely long (although they are supposed to be 3-5mins wait). So I boarded the train without a ticket with the assumption I can buy on the train. Throughout my commute in the six months, I have bought several times from inductors on the train and each time have happily sold to me. Unfortunately this occasion I was unable to purchase on the train. So my assumption is I can buy from the excess ticket office at Farnborough Main. I couldn't find anyone on the platform to tell them I didn't have a ticket, so I went to the guard to let me through. His colleague then stopped and questioned me, why I travelled without a ticket in the first place. Although he was extremely rude and unhelpful, he interrogated me with my full intent to avoid paying a £12 fare! I explained my underground trains were delayed, and the self service machines had long queues. Therefore, assumed I could buy on the train like I usually do so I could make my meeting. He then mentioned I have been lucky in the past that guards issue me tickets on board. I have bank statements showing prior to this incident, approximately 8 a month have been issued on the train by guards. I offered to pay the full fare for a ticket and a penalty. He would not let me. He took my details and now I have been summoned to court with S.5(3)(a) of the Regulations of Railyways Act 1889 Can anyone please advise what I should do? Thank you!!!

Today I was stopped when I left the station without a ticket. I was travelling from Station A to Station B. I am 19 and am a student. The last thing I would want it a criminal record! I just have to wait for the letter now. What should I expect, and is there anything I can do in the mean time. Thanks

Hi I'd be grateful for some advice please. I purchased an off-peak return ticket from Virgin Trains but for a variety of reasons was unable to travel. Having checked their advice online I printed off the relevant form and returned it and both parts of the ticket (outward and return) to the PO Box address in Edinburgh. I sellotaped the tickets to the form to ensure they didn't get separated and posted the letter recorded delivery as instructed. After chasing them up for the refund they are now saying that I only returned the return part of the ticket, and as it's off-peak I'm not entitled to any refund at all. I'm really annoyed by this as I don't see how the ticket could possibly have been accidentally lost, but at the end of the day it's my word against theirs. Any advice on how I can chase this up. Many thanks.

Hi All, I have recieved a summons for the 20th August 2013 accused of... '..On Monday 4th February 2013 between Guildford and Aldershot stations did travel or attempt to travel, upon the railway without having previously paid the fare and with the intention to avoid the payment thereof: contrary to S.5 (3) (a) of the Regulation of Railways Act 1889 as amended by section 84 (2) of the Transport Act 1962 and section 18 of the British Railways Act 1977.' Here's the background: I arrived at the station and there were long queues for all of the ticket machines - I queued for 15-20 minutes (I believe - could have been less though) reached the machine but decided to make a run for it to catch my train (to arrive at work on time - I would have missed it otherwise). (There are cameras everywhere in the station so I guess there would be video evidence showing that I was queuing and intended to buy a ticket). I asked the man at the barriers for a 'bridge pass' so I could enter the station so I could catch the train and buy a ticket from the guard on board (I dishonestly entered the station but with the right intent (to buy a ticket on board) - a mistake I know - but I can hardly believe that it's come to this). On the bridge pass it says 'this is a permit to cross the bridge and must not be used for travel on any train - penalties applied may be: prosecution under the following legislation: s. 5 (3) (a)...' as above. I boarded the train and went through it to the back end where the guard usually is to buy a ticket - however, there were a group of 4 inspectors there - I asked them if I could buy a ticket... In his statement the guard who reported me said : 'Tony Dixon approached & asked to buy a ticket and I informed him that he must buy a ticket before you board the train and advised him to leave the train but the train doors started to close so he could not get off'. In his new statement he says I hesitated for a while before the doors closed but I don't think anyone (even Usain Bolt!) would have been fast enough to get through those doors. I explained what had happened - he seemed sympathetic and to accept that I fully intended to buy a ticket but he refused to sell me one and insisted on taking my details and reporting the matter. I gave the details, signed a statement saying the I 'absolutely intended to buy a ticket' and then bought a full return to cover my journey as I had intended to in the first place. I received a letter from SWT, responded to it and assumed they'd accepted my explanation - however... I recently received a summons with the charge above and responded to plead 'not guilty' - the case was then adjourned till 20th August. I decided to plead not guilty as it is fairly obvious (to me at least!) that the 'the intention to avoid the payment thereof' part of the accusation was/is false. So, have I done the right thing in pleading not guilty? Do you have any tips as to anything I need to do say before or when I'm in court?If you could give me any advice it will be much appreciated - I can't believe that this incident has gone this far - I'm losing sleep! I look forward to recieving your feedback and suggestions! Thanks in advance for any help. Tony

Hi, I'm pretty shaken up by what's just happened today when Arriva trains Wales refused me and my 2 children (aged 10 and 12) the return journey which we'd started this morning. The conductor refused to let us stay on the train, apparently because of my surfboard. We ended up having to catch a taxi from Borth to Newtown. At 10am this morning I checked with the conductor on the platform that we could buy the tickets on the train, he directed me to where I could place my surfboard and bought a day-return ticket to Borth to catch some waves. En route, he explained that we would need to change carriage in Machynlleth where the train divides and to carry my board along the platform. At no point did he mention that there might be any restrictions on surfboards and as this was the first time I'd taken it on a train and had previously seen others with boards on trains I had no reason to think there might be a problem. At 13:43 we boarded the return train in Borth (not overly full) and as I was placing my board in the cycle area where there was plenty of room (just one bike there), the conductor approached me and said: 'We don't take surfboards'. I tried to explain that I had bought a return ticket with my surfboard that morning with no mention of Arriva not taking surfboards but he was immovable even when my 10 year old, visibly distressed, asked: 'How are we going to get home?' 'We don't take surfboards' was all he said, no apology nor willingness to discuss further. Short of dumping my board, we had no option but to get off. I phoned Arriva customer service whose only suggestion was that I should wait 2 hours for the next train and 'explain' to the conductor what had happened. Considering that was what we'd just done, I rang for a taxi instead having told Arriva that I would be billing them for it. The Customer service crew told me that they had no way of contacting the on-board staff for the later train to intervene on our behalf and that they would not pay for a taxi for us to get home. I've now looked at the Arriva website and it says there may be restrictions on 'surfboards... that cannot be carried without assistance'. I can easily carry my board and had another bag in my other hand. Even if they do have restrictions surely by selling me, my kids and my surfboard a ticket this morning on behalf of Arriva which I bought in good faith, that's a contract and I could reasonably expect to be able to return. The fact that I was left stranded with children by a (second) conductor who clearly didn't give a fig is pretty shocking. Any assistance most appreciated, thanks.

Hi CAG; I've been holding out on posting here since the incident as I have been checking other topics, but now I would like to ask for advice. I traveled on South West Trains on March 20th from Poole to Holton Heath (HH is unmanned and no barrier). I got to Poole train station and boarded without a ticket. I had previously purchased tickets a number of times on the actual SW train and have never been warned for doing so. Of course I have used ticket machines on platforms before, but that today was not one of those occasions. The train was quiet, so I sat down and took out my wallet to prepare to pay. The train started moving and around halfway through the journey, two people entered my carriage. The inspector came up to my seat. I had my money already out at this point. I said to him "One single to Holton Heath please" and offered the money. They both sat down and then started asking me my personal information. I was confused and nervous, but cooperated fully. They both got off at the next station. One of them was asking me the questions, the other was my replies. I remember he said to me "Where would you have purchased your ticket if we had not come?". I was in a state of shock with the money still in my hand. I said "I wouldn't have been able to, but I was not intending to fare dodge". The thought had never crossed my mind. I have always been prompted for a ticket whenever I have traveled on SWT. I used to be a railcard holder for three years, and since the incident I have paid over £100 for train tickets. They let me leave after I had signed the page and they said that I might or might not hear back from them. It has since been two weeks and no letter yet although of course the bank holiday does not count as working days. I told my parents and they have been worried. I called up SWT shortly after the incident and the man said "If this is your first offence, you will just get a warning letter, just please try and get your ticket before you board". My mother has also emailed them, but they have not replied yet. Additionally, on my last train journey I told one of the conductors on the train what had happened and asked him what will likely happen. He said "you are likely to get a fixed penalty notice in the post plus the fare, do not worry about getting a criminal record". After reading these topics, I am now much the wiser - I just wish ticket people on the train would have told me the consequences. I thought I was abiding by the rules just fine. I have since purchased tickets online and through platform ticket machines. A criminal record would be devastating to me. I am on anti-depressants and I had tried taking my life earlier this year. In an effort to turn my life around, I hope to teach English in Japan this summer and prosecution would stop me from doing so. I realise I have done wrong, on several accounts. I expect criticism and the worst case scenario, for it seems my life feeds off of misery. I will update when I receive the letter for court summons.

Hi everyone, firstly thanks in advance for any advice or experience you're able to draw on About 8 months ago my friend started catching a train to and from outside zone 6 by 1 stop. He has been travelling using an oyster card on a zone 1-2, and because he has not needed to swipe in or out at his local station, it's never caused him any issues. He has therefore also been paying £112 a month. This morning he was caught by southwesttrains inspectors (he assumes thats what they were) who took him off the train and cautioned him, then asked him a lot of questions (in quite a forceful manner), without showing him a badge or ID, and always remaining adamant that he should answer, even when asked if he could remain silent. They took various details and essentially tricked him into admitting guilt or fair evasion because he hasn't paid the full amount for over a month. They took his home address details, phone number, oyster card number. Through stupidity and ignorance (which apparently never go down well) he was genuinely unaware he needed a larger zone oyster because he actually only swipes in and out within zone 1 and 2. After the caution he was told it would be given to prosecutions dept and he would receive a letter asking him to come in for questioning, likely followed by a court summons. We sat together just now and worked out that in total (again through accident) he has evaded about 650 pounds (the difference between a zone 1-6 monthly and a zone 1-2 monthly, multiplied by the amount of months he has been living at that address. They apparently made it sound very serious, throwing words like 'fraud evasion' round and also suggesting they may have to go through CCTV to get records of him not paying. I know it's taken on a case by case basis, but has anyone had any experience of anything like this? He technically is guilty I guess, but being young (22), ignorant, and with a career ahead of him, is there no way of avoiding a criminal record? The most we could find online was 'penalty fair of up to £1000 and criminal record'- I'm fairly sure he'd gladly take out a loan to avoid criminal record because it would destroy his career. How bleak is this situation for him? (Please don't just reply saying he was an ignorant idiot because even though Ive now told him that, he could be in real trouble here and is freaking out a little! Many thanks

Does anybody know the email addresses of any of the big cheeses at Southwest Trains? I sent an email to customer services a few weeks ago regarding my mobile phone going walkabouts from lost property but have not even had the courtesy of a reply and I would now like to take my complaint higher. The story so far is that my phone dropped out of my pocket while I was running between connections at Clapham Junction station last month. The first I knew about the loss was when my wife told me that a member of the Southwest trains platform staff phoned home from my mobile to report that a member of the public had found my phone and handed it to the staff member. Initially, he asked my wife for our address to post the phone back to us. When my wife refused to provide our address on identity security reasons, he informed her that the phone could be picked from lost property at Waterloo. The trouble is that the phone never arrived at Waterloo! Despite a visit to the lost property office, several calls to the office, and conversations with disinterested platform staff at Clapham Junction, my phone has disappeared without trace. Interestingly, one member of the lost property staff told me that several people had recently also reported lost phones going missing between Clapham Junction and Waterloo and another informed me that the correct procedure when a lost phone is handed in to a staff member is for the phone to be switched off and then sent directly to Waterloo lost property. So it seems that I may not be alone in my predicament and some Southwest trains platform staff may not be strictly playing ball when it comes to lost property. Any help in taking this further would be much appreciated. Thanks Brett

Just spent the last hour speaking to 3 people in India regarding repalcing lost tickets for a train journey booked in 5 days time.... Virgin have a policy that they will not replace a ticket if u have lost one after it has been printed and delivered. However if they lose the ticket during the delivery process they will!! Their reason: that the ticket has a monetary value to them and that to re-issue a duplicate ticket, they get charged again for the same value. If they have lost the ticket in transit, they have an agreement with RM to reimburse the cost of the original tickets. If you or I lose a ticket, a new one has to be purchased. Now in some ways this is not unreasonable if the ticket was for a train journey on an open ticket that could be used anytime and by anyone, although logic states that tickets lost by Virgin in transit could also be used (if stolen) without anyone knowing. Where this becomes unreasonable is when the tickets are for advanced bookings with reserved seats. In this case they still will not budge on policy. Surely only a stupid thief or chancer finding a lost ticket with reserved seating would try to travel knowing that the original purchaser would also turn up with the same ticket reservations. The RM have lost my tickets that i sent to my son to get hom home from Uni for xmas and that are reserved seating in 1st class. Virgin reckon that they cannot offer replacement because i lost them after they had delivered them, (albeit via a ticket machine that i had to travel to, to get them). RM have admitted they do not know where the tickets have gone and now Virgin expect me to follow this up with them for the compensation of having to buy another ticket. Great for Virgin selling the seat twice!! My debate centered around that they should allow the fact that they provide a confirmation mail and ticket reference, train time, seat numbers etc as proof of purchase and therefore i should be allowed to travel using this, but Virgin say that National Rail wont allow this!! Yet they provide Mobitickets that do just that... They are taking my money knowing that these seats will not be used (other than the usual chancers that spot an empty reserved seat between stations) when they should have more efficient ways of dealing with lost tickets. Any other form of transport would allow you to reprint tickets!! Surely this policy is illegal and subject to consumer rights invetigation. ?

On the 23rd of August 2012 I was travelling back home from Leeds to London Kings Cross on a train specific ticket. In a rush as my connecting train had been delayed, I did not pay full attention to the board, and accidentally got on the wrong train. I was travelling with friends and, being engaged in conversation, and relieved that I was on the train, I did not realise my error until the ticket inspector told me when he checked my ticket after Wakefield. I apologised and offered to get off at the next stop and board the correct train when it arrived, which I thought would be a reasonable cure for an innocent mistake. However he told me I could not, and would have to pay for a full priced ticket. Being only 17, needless to say I did not have £124.50 in my wallet, so he filled out an unpaid fare notice for me. I do not have anywhere near the £124.50 I need, so I thought it would be best to dispute the claim as soon as possible, I sent a letter explaining in slightly more detail what I have already said here. As of yet I am awaiting a response. can anyone give me any advice? Do I have any basis to keep disputing? Is it better to somehow find the money to pay? Seeing as how I had a valid and paid for ticket, should that price be deducted from what I need to pay, ie, go down by about £30? Any help would be greatly appreciated, as I have no idea where I stand! Thanks in advance, Charlie

Good morning all, I hope you can help me, I made a stupid, naive but honest error yesterday and I'm now extremely worried about what consequences could follow, worst case scenario being a criminal record for not having a ticket at the end my journey. (I'm so stressed I've not been able to sleep because of this) Here's what happened. I live in London and yesterday I was running late to catch the 14.50 train from Waterloo to Wokingham, the final destination being Crowthorne. I left work and arrived at waterloo station at 14.48, had no time to purchase ticket or check the board for platforms, so I quickly asked a member of staff for the platform for 14.50 train to Wokingham and if I can buy ticket on train. They said Platform 4 and yes regarding ticket purchase… I made the train. Once on the train I ended up in Esher and learned that I was heading for Woking not Wokingham. I got off the train and went to seek advice from staff. I enquired about getting a cab, was told I was so far away from m final destination, my best bet is to get the 15.22 back to Waterloo or Clapham Junction. I got off at Clapham Junction at about 15.48 and headed to the barriers to seek advise, I touched out with my Osyster to get more guidance about heading to Wokingham, as I was keen to make sure I ended up on the right train this time. I found out the next train was at 15.58 platform 5, desperate to make this train, I ran back in with every intention of still paying for a ticket on the train as previously advised. I got my train and was relieved …. on train I expected to see a ticket inspector as was usually the case but i didn't see one and I didn't really know what to do. I got off the train, debating whether I should stay on platform for train to Crowthorne or get a cab. I decided to exit at Wokingham for a cab, I made this decision while watching several Gateline staff checking for tickets, I really was not under the impression I'd done anything wrong, so I walked up to one gentleman to explain I couldn't buy a ticket onboard and asked if I could please buy one now. The man literally laughed at me and said why didn't you look for a ticket inspector while on the train. I explained I didn't know I had to look for one and had assumed they would come to do their usual checks. I explained I have the fare money on me, I'm new to this train service and reiterated I'd made an honest mistake. He asked for my ID without explaining what was happening, at that point I was still hoping to buy a ticket. I gave hime all my details including my Oyster which I'd used to get in at Waterloo. He then said he needed me to explain my story as he needed to make notes. I started by explaining I was training to catch the 14.50 train to Wokingham from Waterloo. He implied that I was lying. Very upset by his accusatory manner, I asked him to explain why and how he'd reached that conclusion. He said, according to your Oyster you got on at Clapham not at Waterloo. I then explained my disaster journey and that i'd gone to Woking by mistake so ended up in clapham to seek journey advice. I then asked him what was happening, what this process was and why he was interrogating me. He refused to explain and said all I can tell you is that your story doesn't add up and I believe you were trying to dodge the fare and you will be going to court to explain yourself. By now i was crying because I felt unfairly treated and that he was twisting my story for his own purpose. I apologised for being naive and continued to admit I made an error in not seeking a ticket inspector to buy one from onboard the train.. I signed the statement without reading, because I was so traumatised by the whole experience and wanted it over and done with. I accept and will pay any financial penalty that comes my way. I have learned a valuable lesson from this but what I am scared about is having a criminal record. Could this really happen to me? What is the next step and how can stop it from going to court? Please help me with some advise. I apologies for the lengthy post Thanking you in advance

Hi, Today I was charged a Penalty Fare of £20.00 for not showing a valid ticket when travelling from Wood Street to Liverpool Street London. The reason being I forgot to renew my monthly pass which expired yesterday. When I reached the barrier at Liverpool Street station and saw the ticket I realised that it expired yesterday and so I went to the ticket officer and explained my situation, He asked me to pay a PF of £20.00 as I travelled ticket less. I have been travelling on this route for pass 9 months and I have tickets for all the pass 9 months, I didn't had any intention of travelling ticket less, but unfortunately this time it just slept out of my mind to renew the ticket (totally my mistake), we don't have any ticket barriers at Wood Street station which makes it worse. The ticket officer told me that I can appeal to IRCAS and showed me the website, I would like to know if I stand any chance of getting the PF back. I've been a genuine traveller on Greater Anglia for the past year and I've got ticket for every single day, I don't know if that would help. Can you please guide me on what I should do in this situation, I really don't want to loose my £20.00, I know its a small amount but makes a difference to me. Thanks

Hello, I am new to the forums and could not find any regarding Rail Legal issues, so I have posted here. Back in November 2011, I was stopped by a Ticket Inspector at St. Denys train station, having just got off the train on my way home from work. The inspector on the platform, guarding the way out, asked to see my ticket. I told him I no longer had my ticket, as I throw them in the train bin when getting off at the end of my journey. He informed me that I had to have the ticket on my person until I left the station, asked for my name and address and verified that I gave the correct address. After this, he told me he would have to give me a caution. I accepted this, and when it was finished went home. On the 1st June 2012, South West Trains sent me a court summons for "Refusal to show a ticket", the court date was set as 14th June. Having been in hospital with a ruptured spleen, I did not get this letter until yesterday, along with the letter informing me I had missed the court date and am now expected to pay £357 in various charges. I basically have two main questions: Firstly, is it even legal to summon me to court for receiving a warning? I had already paid for my ticket for the journey, but because I threw it away on the train, and not on the floor in the station, I received the caution. Nowhere in the paperwork received with the summons is there any mention of legal action, nor was I warned by the inspector who took my details and cautioned me, nor in the witness statement. It seems SWT have just decided to see if they can get some more money from me. Additionally, is it legal to send a court summons around 6 and a half months after the original caution? Regarding the missed court date I have spoken to the court involved, and they say I need to write to them explaining my circumstances and that I would like to appeal. What exactly should I say in this email apart from the obvious hospital stay, is it worth hiring a lawyer (If I can afford to) or will I just turn up in court to be handed a fine and sent home again?