Debt collection & prosecution unit letter

[shafqat26171]

Hi guys, I’m gonna be nice and clear as I need the best solution. I’m 18 as a uni student and I’ve used the 16-17 adult saver railcard since I was 17 but didn’t know you actually have to buy a railcard as in many occasions they’ve scanned it and carried on until I found out one day which was last week that I need a railcard, now being me I just said I left it at home, little did I know there would be consequences for it, the ticket inspector scanned my ticket, took all my details and now I received a letter showing requesting proof of a railcard, the problem is I travel a lot to university probably 2-4 times a week on train and I’ve bought a lot tickets with the 16-17 railcard, today I bought a 16-25 railcard digitally as I now understand the way it works, but now the letter is saying I’ll be prosecuted or fined if I can’t show proof. The main problem is that I can’t show proof of a 16-17 railcard because I never knew to buy one. The reason I bought a 16-25 railcard is to make sure it doesn’t happen in the future, I really don’t want any problems that can affect my career so please could someone suggest anything I can do as I have maximum 21 days to respond
Thanks and the letter is attached with this

 

[skyhigh]

You will just have to reply, apologise for what you've done and ask to settle the case without court action. There are loads of examples on the forum.

You should prepare yourself that if they agree to settle they will check your purchase history and ask you to pay back the full Anytime Single fare for each journey you incorrectly claimed the discount on plus an admin fee of around £100-150.

 

[WesternLancer]

Hi guys, I’m gonna be nice and clear as I need the best solution. I’m 18 as a uni student and I’ve used the 16-17 adult saver railcard since I was 17 but didn’t know you actually have to buy a railcard as in many occasions they’ve scanned it and carried on until I found out one day which was last week that I need a railcard, now being me I just said I left it at home, little did I know there would be consequences for it, the ticket inspector scanned my ticket, took all my details and now I received a letter showing requesting proof of a railcard, the problem is I travel a lot to university probably 2-4 times a week on train and I’ve bought a lot tickets with the 16-17 railcard, today I bought a 16-25 railcard digitally as I now understand the way it works, but now the letter is saying I’ll be prosecuted or fined if I can’t show proof. The main problem is that I can’t show proof of a 16-17 railcard because I never knew to buy one. The reason I bought a 16-25 railcard is to make sure it doesn’t happen in the future, I really don’t want any problems that can affect my career so please could someone suggest anything I can do as I have maximum 21 days to respond
Thanks and the letter is attached with this

You can look at other threads for examples of general apology letters.

It’s vital you reply.

I suspect slightly tricky one is you convincing them you didn’t actually need the railcard to get the discount but I suspect you could say eg ‘I mistakenly believed it was a discount for anyone in this age group’

Basically you need to keep it brief but
Convince them that they now understand the ruls
Won’t ever make the mistake again
Have done something to prevent it happening again. Ie bought a railcard
Offer to pay them the correct fare owed ‘without it needing to be dealt with in court’

Have a go at writing something and put it here for checking before you send it.

 

[SussexMan]

I’m 18 as a uni student and I’ve used the 16-17 adult saver railcard since I was 17 but didn’t know you actually have to buy a railcard...

I struggle to understand that someone can believe that you don't need some kind of "Railcard" to take advantage of the Railcard prices. It's even less credible that you believed you could still select the 16-17 Railcard option when you were 18.

The Train Operating Company may equally be inclined to think it is an excuse. Even if your story is true, you may want to simply apologise for "selecting a railcard price when you didn't have one" rather than trying to convince them that you thought anyone aged 16, 17 or even 18, could simply select the 16-17 Railcard option.

 

[WesternLancer]

I struggle to understand that someone can believe that you don't need some kind of "Railcard" to take advantage of the Railcard prices. It's even less credible that you believed you could still select the 16-17 Railcard option when you were 18.

The Train Operating Company may equally be inclined to think it is an excuse. Even if your story is true, you may want to simply apologise for "selecting a railcard price when you didn't have one" rather than trying to convince them that you thought anyone aged 16, 17 or even 18, could simply select the 16-17 Railcard option.

I agree with the first part of your analysis. But I do know from experience that the’youth of today’ seem to believe many odd things. And to be fair with a basic assumption that schooling goes on to 18 the railway is a bit outmoded in my view in saying child fares end at 16.

But the staff assessing these matters will probably have the same view as yours. So the second part of your post is good advice in my view.

 

[shafqat26171]

I struggle to understand that someone can believe that you don't need some kind of "Railcard" to take advantage of the Railcard prices. It's even less credible that you believed you could still select the 16-17 Railcard option when you were 18.

The Train Operating Company may equally be inclined to think it is an excuse. Even if your story is true, you may want to simply apologise for "selecting a railcard price when you didn't have one" rather than trying to convince them that you thought anyone aged 16, 17 or even 18, could simply select the 16-17 Railcard option.

The problem is that I’ve never took the train until I turned 17, that’s because I’ve always been dropped by my dad to college, but now that our family business has got really busy they weren’t able to drop me so I started taking the train and it started getting really expensive for me, so then I added the 16-17 saver discount, and it always was fine they scanned it and always were fine with it until I found out I need to physically buy a railcard for it. The problem with me is that my heads a bit slow so I don’t look into things deeply I just assume stuff like I did with the discount, what do you think I should do or email them about? I have bought a railcard now but obviously I didn’t have one before so I am in the wrong and I understand that but I can’t afford facing prosecution for it or going to court.

 

[WesternLancer]

The problem is that I’ve never took the train until I turned 17, that’s because I’ve always been dropped by my dad to college, but now that our family business has got really busy they weren’t able to drop me so I started taking the train and it started getting really expensive for me, so then I added the 16-17 saver discount, and it always was fine they scanned it and always were fine with it until I found out I need to physically buy a railcard for it. The problem with me is that my heads a bit slow so I don’t look into things deeply I just assume stuff like I did with the discount, what do you think I should do or email them about? I have bought a railcard now but obviously I didn’t have one before so I am in the wrong and I understand that but I can’t afford facing prosecution for it or going to court.

You need to draft a reply as suggested above, but post that here for checking before you send it to the railway. Have a look at other threads to get the idea of what the reply can look like.

 

[Hadders]

Welcome to the forum!

You're in a spot of bother here but with our assistance you should be able to sort it out, but unfortunately it's not going to be cheap.

Travelling with an invalid ticket is a criminal offence and Northern could prosecute you if they want to. The good thing is they will notmally offer an out of court settlement to people who co-operate with them and who haven't come to their attention before.

I would write a short, concise reply to Northern along the lines of what @WesternLancer has suggested. Northern will almost ertainly offer you an out of court settlement but the y will want you to pay for all of the journeys you've made when you didn't have a railcard at the full Anytime rate, with no credit given for the invalid tickets you did purchase. They will also want you to pay an admin fee, normally around £150.

Settlements normally have to be paid in full within a few days of them being offered so think about how you will raise the money at relative short notice.

I suggest posting a draft of your reply in this thread and forum members will be happy to proof read it for you.

 

[shafqat26171]

Welcome to the forum!

You're in a spot of bother here but with our assistance you should be able to sort it out, but unfortunately it's not going to be cheap.

Travelling with an invalid ticket is a criminal offence and Northern could prosecute you if they want to. The good thing is they will notmally offer an out of court settlement to people who co-operate with them and who haven't come to their attention before.

I would write a short, concise reply to Northern along the lines of what @WesternLancer has suggested. Northern will almost ertainly offer you an out of court settlement but the y will want you to pay for all of the journeys you've made when you didn't have a railcard at the full Anytime rate, with no credit given for the invalid tickets you did purchase. They will also want you to pay an admin fee, normally around £150.

Settlements normally have to be paid in full within a few days of them being offered so think about how you will raise the money at relative short notice.

I suggest posting a draft of your reply in this thread and forum members will be happy to proof read it for you.

Could you give me an example on what to write on my situation as this is my first time this has happened and I’m not really good at writing I’ll be honest sorry

 

[AlterEgo]

Could you give me an example on what to write on my situation as this is my first time this has happened and I’m not really good at writing I’ll be honest sorry

You are an adult at university, you can draft a letter. You need to write the draft yourself; we will not do it for you.

 

[notmyrealname]

You could have a look at other threads here by people who have had a similar problem. Almost all of them will have examples of letters that have been sent and you can base your draft on that research.

 

[Pushpit]

Could you give me an example on what to write on my situation as this is my first time this has happened and I’m not really good at writing I’ll be honest sorry

To help you a little - see post 3, where @WesternLancer has taken the trouble to give some pointers. You need to start with an apology to Northern.

Then do a list of bullet points, reflecting what you feel about what happened. So if we start this it goes
- I am writing to you regarding reference NTLnnnnn, about the incident on 25 February 2025, when I failed to produce a railcard.
- I am very sorry that I did not hold a railcard and I want to apologise to Northern Trains Limited for my failure to hold one.
- I have now read up the rules relating to railcards and have researched this on RailUKforums.
and so on, along the lines of post 3. (You don't actually have to name-check this forum, but it does legitimately show you are taking the matter seriously).

Then it should be fairly easy to flow each bullet point into a structured and not-too-long letter. It's then in your own words, and thus it will come across to Northern that it is in your own words. Leave the first attempt for a few hours, come back to it to revise and check, then put the draft version here, where you will get more precise help on spelling and syntax. It's a useful skill to have, regardless of this current problem, so give it a go.

 

[WesternLancer]

To help you a little - see post 3, where @WesternLancer has taken the trouble to give some pointers. You need to start with an apology to Northern.

Then do a list of bullet points, reflecting what you feel about what happened. So if we start this it goes
- I am writing to you regarding reference NTLnnnnn, about the incident on 25 February 2025, when I failed to produce a railcard.
- I am very sorry that I did not hold a railcard and I want to apologise to Northern Trains Limited for my failure to hold one.
- I have now read up the rules relating to railcards and have researched this on RailUKforums.
and so on, along the lines of post 3. (You don't actually have to name-check this forum, but it does legitimately show you are taking the matter seriously).

Then it should be fairly easy to flow each bullet point into a structured and not-too-long letter. It's then in your own words, and thus it will come across to Northern that it is in your own words. Leave the first attempt for a few hours, come back to it to revise and check, then put the draft version here, where you will get more precise help on spelling and syntax. It's a useful skill to have, regardless of this current problem, so give it a go.

very good advice here and hopefully @shafqat26171 can come back with a draft reply that we can check and help them improve if needed.

In addition to this structure suggested you should end with a request as to what you would like to happen to resolve it - for example "I would be grateful for the opportunity to resolve this matter without the need for court action."

@shafqat26171 - it is vital that you reply to this by the deadline of 21 days or it will escalate to court action against you which is important to avoid, as you know. You must not ignore this letter as the problem will not go away until you reply. Obviously from what you have said I can see you understand that.

If you want additional help, and are a student, you could ask at your college / student union advice service or perhaps ask your tutor too for some help.

 

[shafqat26171]

very good advice here and hopefully @shafqat26171 can come back with a draft reply that we can check and help them improve if needed.

In addition to this structure suggested you should end with a request as to what you would like to happen to resolve it - for example "I would be grateful for the opportunity to resolve this matter without the need for court action."

@shafqat26171 - it is vital that you reply to this by the deadline of 21 days or it will escalate to court action against you which is important to avoid, as you know. You must not ignore this letter as the problem will not go away until you reply. Obviously from what you have said I can see you understand that.

If you want additional help, and are a student, you could ask at your college / student union advice service or perhaps ask your tutor too for some help.

Ok guys thank you so much for your help I really appreciate it, I’ll get back soon with a draft letter hopefully and then if any points or problems have been found maybe you guys could help
Thanks a lot

 

[WesternLancer]

Ok guys thank you so much for your help I really appreciate it, I’ll get back soon with a draft letter hopefully and then if any points or problems have been found maybe you guys could help
Thanks a lot

You will definitely get help here with this

 

[shafqat26171]

hi guys i managed to write a draft that i can send to them on email, could you please check it for me and let me know if there is anything i should add to make it sound professional pls i would really appreciate it, thanks


Dear Sir/Madam,

I refer to the matter with reference number ****

I am writing in response to your letter dated 25 February 2025 when I failed to produce a railcard. I wish to express my sincere apologies that I did not hold a railcard and I want to apologise to Northern Trains Limited for my failure to hold one. I have now read up the rules relating to railcards and have researched this on RailUKforums. I would like to inform you that I have purchased the correct railcard aligned for my age criteria and have been using that for my journeys since the incident occurred. I would kindly like to request for this case to be dealt without having to go to court and I am willing to pay for all administrative costs as well as all journeys used with the incorrect railcard

the only problem im thinking about is ive purchased around 20 tickets over time using the wrong railcard so what can i do about that situation?

Welcome to the forum!

You're in a spot of bother here but with our assistance you should be able to sort it out, but unfortunately it's not going to be cheap.

Travelling with an invalid ticket is a criminal offence and Northern could prosecute you if they want to. The good thing is they will notmally offer an out of court settlement to people who co-operate with them and who haven't come to their attention before.

I would write a short, concise reply to Northern along the lines of what @WesternLancer has suggested. Northern will almost ertainly offer you an out of court settlement but the y will want you to pay for all of the journeys you've made when you didn't have a railcard at the full Anytime rate, with no credit given for the invalid tickets you did purchase. They will also want you to pay an admin fee, normally around £150.

Settlements normally have to be paid in full within a few days of them being offered so think about how you will raise the money at relative short notice.

I suggest posting a draft of your reply in this thread and forum members will be happy to proof read it for you.

 

[shafqat26171]

Hi guys, I’m gonna be nice and clear as I need the best solution. I’m 18 as a uni student and I’ve used the 16-17 adult saver railcard since I was 17 but didn’t know you actually have to buy a railcard as in many occasions they’ve scanned it and carried on until I found out one day which was last week that I need a railcard, now being me I just said I left it at home, little did I know there would be consequences for it, the ticket inspector scanned my ticket, took all my details and now I received a letter showing requesting proof of a railcard, the problem is I travel a lot to university probably 2-4 times a week on train and I’ve bought a lot tickets with the 16-17 railcard, today I bought a 16-25 railcard digitally as I now understand the way it works, but now the letter is saying I’ll be prosecuted or fined if I can’t show proof. The main problem is that I can’t show proof of a 16-17 railcard because I never knew to buy one. The reason I bought a 16-25 railcard is to make sure it doesn’t happen in the future, I really don’t want any problems that can affect my career so please could someone suggest anything I can do as I have maximum 21 days to respond
Thanks and the letter is attached with this

 

[WesternLancer]

hi guys i managed to write a draft that i can send to them on email, could you please check it for me and let me know if there is anything i should add to make it sound professional pls i would really appreciate it, thanks


Dear Sir/Madam,

I refer to the matter with reference number ****

I am writing in response to your letter dated 25 February 2025 when I failed to produce a railcard. I wish to express my sincere apologies that I did not hold a railcard and I want to apologise to Northern Trains Limited for my failure to hold one. I have now read up the rules relating to railcards and have researched this on RailUKforums. I would like to inform you that I have purchased the correct railcard aligned for my age criteria and have been using that for my journeys since the incident occurred. I would kindly like to request for this case to be dealt without having to go to court and I am willing to pay for all administrative costs as well as all journeys used with the incorrect railcard

the only problem im thinking about is ive purchased around 20 tickets over time using the wrong railcard so what can i do about that situation?

The main problem with your letter is that it is asking you to produce a Railcard which you don't have / never have had (for whatever reason) and you have not really addressed that point - I suggest some amends below that you can consider, also include some paragraph breaks, and something about how you have learned from your error and know how serious it is - as I am suggesting. You will see I am also suggesting you show them proof of the railcard you have now bought.

---------------------------------------
Dear Sir/Madam,

I refer to the matter with reference number ****

I am writing in response to your letter dated 25 February 2025 when I failed to produce a railcard.

I wish to express my sincere apologies that I did not in fact hold a railcard and I want to apologise to Northern Trains Limited for my failure to hold one. I now understand the seriousness of my actions and how severe the consequences could be for me. I have now read up the rules relating to railcards and I now understand that I must own a valid railcard, and have it available to show on every journey where I have a Railcard discounted ticket. have researched this on RailUKforums.

I have learned from what has happened and I would like to inform you that I have now purchased the correct railcard aligned for my age criteria and have been using that for my journeys since the incident occurred to help reduce the cost of my fares correctly. (I enclose a copy of the Railcard for your information).

I would kindly like to request for this case to be dealt without having to go to court and I am willing to pay for all administrative costs as well as any outstanding fares owed for all journeys used with the incorrect railcard.

I hope you can look sympathetically on my request to resolve this without the need for prosecution.

Yours faithfully

-------------------------------------------

he only problem im thinking about is ive purchased around 20 tickets over time using the wrong railcard so what can i do about that situation?

regarding this - you have addressed it in your letter, as you have offered to pay the fares owed, so wait to see what they say. the only thing you can do is save up the money to pay them as they will want that in full and promptly (eg within 10-14 days) if they make you an out of court offer as you are asking them to do.

To work out the sum: you know the journeys concerned, so go on line and find out what the full price 'Anytime Single' fare is for each journey (a return journey is twice the Anytime Single fare) you took and add that up - if you can't find the price for that post here the journey (whom where to where - and we can tell you that price) - that will be the sort of sum they will ask you for because they want you to pay for the correct tickets you should have had, and that will be the basis of any out of court settlement they offer.

When you have filled out their letter with the details they ask for and your reply
- take a photo of the finished thing so you keep a copy,
- then go to a local post office and ask to send the latter 'tracked postage' so you know it has got there
- the post office will give you a slip with a code to track its delivery - keep that slip safe and check it gets delivered - keep a copy of the proof of delivery from Royal Mail that you can save as a pdf off their tracking website .

Check here in case anyone else has any other good suggested amends - but
Get this done promptly - eg before mid afternoon today if you are ready to send it - or before about 10am on Saturday as your deadline of 21 days to respond is up next Wednesday so you want to ensure they receive your reply by then

 

[shafqat26171]

SO even if i send the email do i still have to send them the letter that they sent me?

 

[WesternLancer]

SO even if i send the email do i still have to send them the letter that they sent me?

I guess if you include the info they are asking for in their letter page 1 boxes in your e-mail reply (or fill it in, scan or photo it and attach that to your e-mail reply maybe) then that should be OK

 

[shafqat26171]

ok thank you very much ill keep you updated on what they reply as ill send them the email when i arrive home

 

[WesternLancer]

ok thank you very much ill keep you updated on what they reply as ill send them the email when i arrive home

Good luck as things progress.

 

[shafqat26171]

hi, i got a reply from the DRPU, here is the email they sent me, could you please tell me if you have any idea what will happen pls, thank you
email reply:

"Thank you for your correspondence. Please be advised that the information provided will need to be assessed by a panel. This process may take some time, and we appreciate your patience as we conduct a careful review. Once the panel has completed its evaluation, we will be in touch with you to provide an update and if necessary, any further steps.

Should you have any further evidence to support your position, please do not hesitate to provide it using this email address.

With regards
DRPU"

 

[Fawkes Cat]

hi, i got a reply from the DRPU, here is the email they sent me, could you please tell me if you have any idea what will happen pls, thank you
email reply:

"Thank you for your correspondence. Please be advised that the information provided will need to be assessed by a panel. This process may take some time, and we appreciate your patience as we conduct a careful review. Once the panel has completed its evaluation, we will be in touch with you to provide an update and if necessary, any further steps.

Should you have any further evidence to support your position, please do not hesitate to provide it using this email address.

With regards
DRPU"

For the moment, all you can do is wait and see what the railway says when they come back to you. The most likely outcome will be that they ask you to pay the train fare and an admin fee to settle this (they may call this something like a 'fixed penalty '). But they might
- give you a warning (unlikely) or
- take you to court (a little less unlikely but still probably not what will happen)