Caught at Stratford

[ATrain]

Hi all,

Hoping for some help/advice based on a situation I am deeply regretful of.

For the last 6 months on occasion I’ve been buying short tickets or not at all for a commute with Greater Anglia from Rayleigh into Strarford whereby I would tap in for the tube and continue my journey.

The Inspector questioned me when alighting at Stratford and I admitted on the spot that I didn’t have a ticket. While being questioned he then took a look at my purchase history on Trainline and it was clear there are other occasions I had done this. Although it doesn’t make the situation any better I have also brought tickets from the machine at Rayleigh for the full length of journey from Rayleigh during this time which I would be able to prove.

I currently use the line once or twice a week but there are also weeks I haven’t travelled for reasons such a annual leave or having covid so worried now this will show as a gap in my history.

This is my first offence and I feel so remorseful and anxious that the worst will happen. I have been using this line correctly and honestly up until now for many years using season tickets and I just feel so stupid for my actions.

I am now expecting a letter to arrive in 4-6 weeks that I will need to reply to but any advice would be greatly appreciated. I’m not looking for an easy way out and I’m more that happy to repay any fares they deem outstanding plus admin costs, I just really don’t want them to take this down the prosecution route.

Thank you for you help.

 

[Hadders]

Welcome to the forum!

Here's the advice I normally give to people who come here seeking advice in similar circumstances to you.

You will receive a letter from the train company, or an investigation company acting on their behalf. The letter will say that they have received a report, are considering prosecuting you and asking for your version of events. It is important that you engage with and reply to this letter. You might want to include the following in your reply:

- That you are sorry for what has happened
- What you have learned from the incident
- That you are keen to settle the matter without the need for court action
- Offer to pay the outstanding fare and the train company's administrative costs in dealing with the matter

Make sure your reply is short and concise, don't give a sob story - they've heard it all before. Most train companies are usually prepared to offer an administrative settlement (commonly known as an out of court settlement) for people who engage with the process and who haven't come to their attention before. There is no guarantee of this and the train company would be well within their rights to prosecute you in the magistrates court.

An aggravating factor is that you have done this several times, this doesn't make an out of court settlekent impossible but it might be a little harder and cost more. The train company will be able to obtain your purchase history from Trainline, or any other ticketing website you've used. The wording of the letter you receive will be important here, it might just be that they ask you about the incient where you were caught. You are not required gto incriminate yourself by mentioning other incidents but if they ask you about other incidents then you should tell the truth.

If you are offered a settlement the amount varies depending on the train company and circumstances but tend to be a few hundred pounds plus the outstanding fare. An out of court settlement might appear to be a fine, but it isn't and you won't have a criminal record as a result of accepting one.

One final thought - were you stopped by a Greater Anglia inspector or a Transport for London inspector? My guess is it was Greater Anglia, and if it was they are normally more willing to settle out of court. Transport for London tend to prosecute, although they have been known to offer out of court settlements.

Feel free to post a copy of the letter once it arrives (with personal detais redacted) along with your draft reply in this thread I'm sure forum members will be happy to proof read it for you.

 

[ATrain]

Thank you for your prompt reply and information. For now I will sit tight and see what is in the letter when it arrives. I did admit to other occasions when questioned. Do you think I should mention specific figures in my reply? Or let them work that out and hopefully offer a settlement?

I was quite panicked at the time but I believe he was Greater Anglia, there we people in red GA jumpers giving out fines but he was plain clothed and took a statement. He was actually very reassuring and informative as to what to except which made an awful situation slightly better.

 

[Hadders]

Thank you for your prompt reply and information. For now I will sit tight and see what is in the letter when it arrives. I did admit to other occasions when questioned. Do you think I should mention specific figures in my reply? Or let them work that out and hopefully offer a settlement?

I was quite panicked at the time but I believe he was Greater Anglia, there we people in red GA jumpers giving out fines but he was plain clothed and took a statement. He was actually very reassuring and informative as to what to except which made an awful situation slightly better.

I wouldn't mention a figure in your reply. It's more likely they were Greater Anglia rather than TfL.

 

[ATrain]

I wouldn't mention a figure in your reply. It's more likely they were Greater Anglia rather than TfL.

Thank you for your advise. I will be back in touch when I have the letter and a draft reply.

 

[ATrain]

Hi sorry just an update on this thread I received my letter from GA last week and responded using the advice from Hadders message and several other threads. They replied a couple of days later with an out of court settlement of £264 including a £100 admin fee which I paid instantly and they confirmed the case is closed.

Wish I’d seen all these threads before making my stupid decision but we learn!! It’s not worth the stress and I’ll never do it again! Thanks again @Hadders you all do a great job with this.

 

[Hadders]

Thanks for coming back and letting us know. This is a decent outcome, all things considered.