Expired railcard - TPE train - Northern officer

[tatatravel]

Hello, I am asking for an advice on what to respond to the letter I received.

I had a ticket purchased from Trainline Huddersfield - Manchester - Huddersfield (TPE train). I was stopped by a Northern rail officer to check my ticket while exiting the train station (Manchester Victoria).
I don’t travel frequently (only for leisure) and I just didn’t realise my railcard had expired more than a month ago. I apologised and offered to pay the difference, but he reassured me it was ok, he said I would be able to do that when I receive a letter, and that there would be no fine, just request to pay the difference in fares.

I renewed my railcard straightaway. I have had 2 railcards before.
I am very much upset about this incident and understand it was my fault I didn’t check my railcard.

- Can Northern issue a fine/start prosecution for travelling on a TPE train? There were a couple of other trips with them.
- Shall I respond via writing a letter or an email?
Any advice on what to respond to the letter will be much appreciated.

Many thanks

 

[Haywain]

Can Northern issue a fine/start prosecution for travelling on a TPE train?

Yes, they can.

Shall I respond via writing a letter or an email?

Either would appear to be acceptable. You need to apologise, indicate that it won't happen again and ask if they will agree to settle the matter without court action. They will likely offer this at a cost of around £100 plus the fare.

 

[Hadders]

Welcome to the forum!

We see lots of cases like this on here. I suggest sending a short, concise reply mentioning:

- 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

Northern normally offer an out of court settlement to people who co-operate with them and whi haven't come to their attention before. They normally charge the full Anytime fare (not just the difference) with no credit given for the ticket you did purchase. In addtion they normally charge an admin fee, typically around £100. They might also search your online ticket purchasing history and factor in to the settlement cost any other tickets you've purchased since the railcard expired.

Idf you want, feel free to pop a copy of your draft reply into this thread and forum members will proof read it for you.

 

[tatatravel]

Yes, they can.

Either would appear to be acceptable. You need to apologise, indicate that it won't happen again and ask if they will agree to settle the matter without court action. They will likely offer this at a cost of around £100 plus the fare.

Thank you for replying to my question

Welcome to the forum!

We see lots of cases like this on here. I suggest sending a short, concise reply mentioning:

- 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

Northern normally offer an out of court settlement to people who co-operate with them and whi haven't come to their attention before. They normally charge the full Anytime fare (not just the difference) with no credit given for the ticket you did purchase. In addtion they normally charge an admin fee, typically around £100. They might also search your online ticket purchasing history and factor in to the settlement cost any other tickets you've purchased since the railcard expired.

Idf you want, feel free to pop a copy of your draft reply into this thread and forum members will proof read it for you.

Good day.

Thank you for responding to my question and writing key points I need to mention in my reply.

Could you please have a look my draft response and advise if it is ok?

I am writing in response to your letter regarding my journey from Huddersfield to Manchester Victoria, reference number ###. I would like to sincerely apologise for the oversight and any inconvenience caused.


I was unaware at the time that my Railcard had expired. As soon as I realised the mistake, I renewed my Railcard immediately. This experience has taught me to be more diligent in checking the validity of my tickets and discounts before travelling, and I will ensure this does not happen again.

I am keen to settle this matter without the need for court action and would like to offer to pay the outstanding fare, along with any reasonable administrative costs incurred by Northern Trains Limited in handling this case. Please let me know the amount I need to pay and how to proceed with the payment.

Once again, I sincerely apologise for this mistake and appreciate your time in reviewing my response. I look forward to your guidance on resolving this matter.

 

[notmyrealname]

Hi.

You need to take the reference number out of your draft, for anonymity.

 

[tatatravel]

Hi.

You need to take the reference number out of your draft, for anonymity.

Thanks, done

 

[Hadders]

I think the letter is ok. Please do let us know how you get on.