Hi,
I was wondering if anyone else has experienced something similar.
Back in February, I travelled with by train and have just received a £31 prosecution letter—plus a £120 administrative fee The issue was that I accidentally used a 16–17 Railcard instead of a 16–25 Railcard when buying my ticket. I travel by train regularly with the correct railcard, and this was a genuine mistake—I didn’t realise until I was checked during the journey.
I contacted them via email, and they acknowledged that their system doesn’t currently verify railcards during the booking process. I also explained that I have a disability which affects how I process numbers, especially when they’re similar, but this was ignored in their response.
I completely understand having to pay the fare difference, but the £120 admin fee feels really excessive for what was an honest mistake. They’ve given me 21 days to pay or face court proceedings, with no alternative resolution offered, which feels quite harsh.
Has anyone had a similar experience and been able to challenge the admin charge or avoid going to court? Also, does anyone know how much court fees could be if it comes to that?
Thanks in advance
I was wondering if anyone else has experienced something similar.
Back in February, I travelled with by train and have just received a £31 prosecution letter—plus a £120 administrative fee The issue was that I accidentally used a 16–17 Railcard instead of a 16–25 Railcard when buying my ticket. I travel by train regularly with the correct railcard, and this was a genuine mistake—I didn’t realise until I was checked during the journey.
I contacted them via email, and they acknowledged that their system doesn’t currently verify railcards during the booking process. I also explained that I have a disability which affects how I process numbers, especially when they’re similar, but this was ignored in their response.
I completely understand having to pay the fare difference, but the £120 admin fee feels really excessive for what was an honest mistake. They’ve given me 21 days to pay or face court proceedings, with no alternative resolution offered, which feels quite harsh.
Has anyone had a similar experience and been able to challenge the admin charge or avoid going to court? Also, does anyone know how much court fees could be if it comes to that?
Thanks in advance