Hi,
I have been reading some posts about court summons. Mine is next month and both Transport Investigations Ltd and the rail company the incident occurred with have given their final words on the matter and are not budging for an out of court settlement. The incident occurred early September. I wanted to travel to Sheffield where I would meet a friend who drives, spend a day there and then travel further by car. I fell asleep as it was an early train and did not sleep the night before my journey. Here is the incident in simpler terms which was sent in my most recent letter:
On 15th October 2015, I received a letter from Transport Investigations Limited (TIL) asking me to provide any mitigation and written representations because TILs Prosecutions Team was considering whether a Summons should be issued.
I was given 21 days to do this and I responded on 24th October. In that letter, I explained that:
- I had intended to disembark at Sheffield
- I had a ticket which entitled me to travel to Sheffield
- After a sleepless night, I had fallen asleep on the train and I was woken up by the ticket inspector. I had slept for so long that I was nearly at Cheltenham Spa.
- I was told by the ticket inspector to get off at Cheltenham Spa and return to Sheffield.
- The ticket inspector issued me with a ticket so that I could travel through the gates at the next train station and he told me that I could pay the fare straight away by calling a number. I would later call this number but was not able to do this.
- I could not afford a ticket from Cheltenham back to Sheffield.
- I tried to use my phone to see if I could afford a ticket from Cheltenham to Bristol and I also tried to make contact with my friend in Bath to see if he could collect me from Bristol.
- Unable to buy the ticket online, I asked the inspector for a ticket from Cheltenham to Bristol. This is exactly the journey that I would have taken if I had got off the train at Cheltenham
- The inspector told me that he presumed that I was fare dodging
- I then realised that, unusually, I had some cash with me. I found the ticket inspector there and then and attempted to pay for the ticket. He wouldnt allow me to do so.
- The Inspector classified this incident as an unpaid fares notice and again told me that I could pay the fare after I had concluded my journey.
- The ticket inspector told me that he felt his behaviour towards me might have been seen as harassing by other rail users.
Since the day the incident occurred, I have made numerous attempts to pay the ticket by calling the rail company, who then passed me over to IRCAS, who then passed me back over to the rail company and so on, until I received the letter from TIL.
Sorry for the long post, but I am in desperate need of advice, which the local CAB group have not been able to provide me with. Many Thanks!
I have been reading some posts about court summons. Mine is next month and both Transport Investigations Ltd and the rail company the incident occurred with have given their final words on the matter and are not budging for an out of court settlement. The incident occurred early September. I wanted to travel to Sheffield where I would meet a friend who drives, spend a day there and then travel further by car. I fell asleep as it was an early train and did not sleep the night before my journey. Here is the incident in simpler terms which was sent in my most recent letter:
On 15th October 2015, I received a letter from Transport Investigations Limited (TIL) asking me to provide any mitigation and written representations because TILs Prosecutions Team was considering whether a Summons should be issued.
I was given 21 days to do this and I responded on 24th October. In that letter, I explained that:
- I had intended to disembark at Sheffield
- I had a ticket which entitled me to travel to Sheffield
- After a sleepless night, I had fallen asleep on the train and I was woken up by the ticket inspector. I had slept for so long that I was nearly at Cheltenham Spa.
- I was told by the ticket inspector to get off at Cheltenham Spa and return to Sheffield.
- The ticket inspector issued me with a ticket so that I could travel through the gates at the next train station and he told me that I could pay the fare straight away by calling a number. I would later call this number but was not able to do this.
- I could not afford a ticket from Cheltenham back to Sheffield.
- I tried to use my phone to see if I could afford a ticket from Cheltenham to Bristol and I also tried to make contact with my friend in Bath to see if he could collect me from Bristol.
- Unable to buy the ticket online, I asked the inspector for a ticket from Cheltenham to Bristol. This is exactly the journey that I would have taken if I had got off the train at Cheltenham
- The inspector told me that he presumed that I was fare dodging
- I then realised that, unusually, I had some cash with me. I found the ticket inspector there and then and attempted to pay for the ticket. He wouldnt allow me to do so.
- The Inspector classified this incident as an unpaid fares notice and again told me that I could pay the fare after I had concluded my journey.
- The ticket inspector told me that he felt his behaviour towards me might have been seen as harassing by other rail users.
Since the day the incident occurred, I have made numerous attempts to pay the ticket by calling the rail company, who then passed me over to IRCAS, who then passed me back over to the rail company and so on, until I received the letter from TIL.
Sorry for the long post, but I am in desperate need of advice, which the local CAB group have not been able to provide me with. Many Thanks!