Thameslink witness statement help!!!

[nico825516]

First of all I’m so grateful that I found this community! Would really appreciate if I could get some help and suggestions for my case.
I got a witness statement from Thameslink officer today. Travelling from Huntingdon to Farringdon for work and arrived around 9:20am.
Long story short, I have a valid 26-30 railcard but I purchased the ticket under the 16-17 savers. The reason I told them is because I was purchasing the ticket before for my brother and forgot to switch back to the railcard I actually got. But tbh I don’t have a brother, i bought it just because the tickets is cheaper, I got panicked.. and yes I’ve learnt my lesson.
They didn’t fine me but at this point I would rather they do. As the witness statement sounds more serious. So I would like to have your input and opinion on how to get the solved out of court as I really don’t want any troubles. I also checked some solicitor service and they said they have 100% success rates but the fee will be £725 plus a fine of £300+fare fee that goes to the railway company. That’s a total of 1k..
but on the other hand I don’t know what to expect, will they ask me to provide my so called “brother” personal info? But the officer is not recording what I’m saying at the scene.
Any suggestion is welcomed!

 

[Hadders]

Welcome to the forum!

Travelling with an invalid ticket is a criminal offence and Govia Thameslink Railway are entitled to prosecute you in the Magistrates Court if they want to. That said, GTR are generally one of the more pragmatic train companies to deal with when it comes to this sort of thing.

What happens next is GTR will write to you in the next few weeks. They letter will say they have received a report and are considering prosecuting you but asking for you version of events before deciding how to proceed. I suggest a short, concise reply including the following points:

- 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

While we cannot guarantee it, GTR are normally prepared to offer an out of court settlement to people who co-operate with their investigation and who haven't come to their attention before. If you are offered a settlement expect to have to pay the cost of the the fares avoided at the full Anytime rate plus an admin fee, typically around £150. You will need to be in a position to pay the settlement in full within a few days of it being offered - payment in installments isn't normally allowed.

GTR might audit your online ticket purchasing history and if this shows regular purchase of discounted tickets you're not entitled to they might want to ask you about these and factor these into the settlement cost.

It's your choice whether or not to use a solicitor. A solicitor cannot change what's happened but they might be able to present your mitigation in a more professional way than you feel able to do yourself. They might also be able to get a faster reply than if you do it yourself. That said, you need to factor in the cost of the solicitor in addition to the likely settlement cost - and the still cannot guarantee success. If it was me I would see what GTR say in response to your reoly to their letter, if this is unfavourable then that might be the time to instruct a solicitor.

When it arrives, feel free to post a copy of GTR's letter in this thread along with your draft reply and forum members will be happy to proof read it for you. Do redact any pesonal details before posting.

 

[nico825516]

Welcome to the forum!

Travelling with an invalid ticket is a criminal offence and Govia Thameslink Railway are entitled to prosecute you in the Magistrates Court if they want to. That said, GTR are generally one of the more pragmatic train companies to deal with when it comes to this sort of thing.

What happens next is GTR will write to you in the next few weeks. They letter will say they have received a report and are considering prosecuting you but asking for you version of events before deciding how to proceed. I suggest a short, concise reply including the following points:

- 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

While we cannot guarantee it, GTR are normally prepared to offer an out of court settlement to people who co-operate with their investigation and who haven't come to their attention before. If you are offered a settlement expect to have to pay the cost of the the fares avoided at the full Anytime rate plus an admin fee, typically around £150. You will need to be in a position to pay the settlement in full within a few days of it being offered - payment in installments isn't normally allowed.

GTR might audit your online ticket purchasing history and if this shows regular purchase of discounted tickets you're not entitled to they might want to ask you about these and factor these into the settlement cost.

It's your choice whether or not to use a solicitor. A solicitor cannot change what's happened but they might be able to present your mitigation in a more professional way than you feel able to do yourself. They might also be able to get a faster reply than if you do it yourself. That said, you need to factor in the cost of the solicitor in addition to the likely settlement cost - and the still cannot guarantee success. If it was me I would see what GTR say in response to your reoly to their letter, if this is unfavourable then that might be the time to instruct a solicitor.

When it arrives, feel free to post a copy of GTR's letter in this thread along with your draft reply and forum members will be happy to proof read it for you. Do redact any pesonal details before posting.

Hi Hadders! Thanks for your reply and time, appreciate your input. I will wait for now and see how it goes. Thanks again, have a lovely rest of the week!

 

[nico825516]

Hi, all, so i just got their email today and they did looked up at my purchase history, i looked it up and its around 5 wrong railcard fare (i used 16-17, but i have 26-30) i purchased since my first purchase in June, this is my draft, any suggestions are welcomed!

(some background: I have a valid 26-30 railcard but I purchased the ticket under the 16-17 savers. The reason I told them is because I was purchasing the ticket before for my brother and forgot to switch back to the railcard I actually got. But tbh I don’t have a brother, i bought it just because the tickets is cheaper, I got panicked.. and yes I’ve learnt my lesson.)

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing in response to your letter regarding the incident on 03 September 2024 at Farringdon station.

I fully acknowledge that on this date, I traveled without a valid rail ticket, and regretfully, I admit this was not the first time I failed to purchase the correct fare. I want to sincerely apologize for my actions, as I now fully understand the seriousness of fare evasion and its impact on Thameslink's services. I deeply regret contributing to a situation that not only disrupts the efficiency of your service but also places an unfair burden on those who consistently pay their fares.

I am truly ashamed of my behavior and take full responsibility for my actions and the oversight in using an incorrect railcard. Since then, I can assure you that I've been purchased the correct ticket and a valid railcard for my journeys, and I can assure you that this will not happen again.

I am eager to resolve this matter as swiftly as possible, without the need for court action. I am more than willing to pay the outstanding fares, as well as any reasonable administrative costs that have been incurred during the investigation.

Once again, I deeply apologize for my actions.

Thank you for your consideration and look forward to hear back from you soon.

I also have another version, if you could have a look, that will be great,
I am writing in response to your letter regarding the incident that took place on 03 September 2024 at Farringdon Station, London.

I fully acknowledge that I traveled without a valid rail ticket on this occasion, and regret to admit that this was not the first time I failed to purchase the correct fare. As a non-native resident, I misunderstood how the railcards work, and I sincerely apologize for this oversight. I now fully understand the seriousness of fare evasion and its impact on Thameslink’s operations, and I deeply regret contributing to an issue that disrupts your services and unfairly burdens those who consistently pay their fares.

I am genuinely ashamed of my actions and take full responsibility for not having used the appropriate railcard. Since the incident, I have ensured that I always purchase the correct ticket and have obtained a valid railcard for future journeys. I am committed to ensuring this mistake does not happen again.

I am eager to resolve this matter promptly and without the need for court action. I am more than willing to pay the outstanding fare along with any reasonable administrative costs incurred during the investigation.

Once again, I sincerely apologize for my actions, and I appreciate your consideration. I await your response regarding the next steps to resolve this matter.

 

[ikcdab]

I think either version is fine.

 

[30907]

I think either version is fine.

...though the second contains this:

I misunderstood how the railcards work

which is decidedly economical with the truth (as stated at the top of their post!), and could do with amending.

I would change "I am eager to resolve" to something like "I would be grateful if you would be prepared to resolve...." - you need to ask them not make them an offer!

 

[nico825516]

...though the second contains this:

which is decidedly economical with the truth (as stated at the top of their post!), and could do with amending.

I would change "I am eager to resolve" to something like "I would be grateful if you would be prepared to resolve...." - you need to ask them not make them an offer!

Thanks for your advice! But if I put in this way, will it make me sound like I'm giving them orders if I say it like this? I'm currently in a disadvantaged position after all

 

[Hadders]

I think either letter is fine.

I agree with @30907 about the wording asking for an out of court settlement. I'd use 'I wondered if it would be possible to resolve this matter without the need for court action....'

 

[nico825516]

Hi All.

Thanks so much for your help. I just got back from them to agreed the settlement and paid successfully. Definitely learnt my lessons.

Thanks again

 

[30907]

Hi All.

Thanks so much for your help. I just got back from them to agreed the settlement and paid successfully. Definitely learnt my lessons.

Excellent result all round, and very prompt too.

Without giving too much detail, would you be willing to tell us roughly
(1) what the admin element of the settlement was and
(2) whether they charged you for all the fares you avoided or just the one?

It would help giving advice to others - though the main point is clear: engage with the train company and they will offer to settle.