Northern Rail Fixed Penalty Notice - how to appeal

mwinston

Hi,

I've just received a Fixed Penalty Notice from Northern Rail from a journey I made 4 months ago. The fine is £80 plus £4 for the journey.

I expected to buy a ticket on the train between Manchester Piccadilly and Cheadle Hulme because when I do this journey, I can always do that. I don't use the train regularly, I don't commute using the train and I do this journey once every few months. On this particular occasion, a conductor didn't come around the train and when I got off 4 members of Northern Rail staff were waiting to check tickets and take the details of those without them.

I tried to buy a ticket from a machine but was told it was only for outbound journeys and wasn't offered another way to purchase a ticket, I just had to give a member of staff my details. Now I have a Fixed Penalty Notice.

I can't find much info on these online, mainly forum posts. Northern Rail only seem to mention Fixed Penalty Fares on their website which isn't what I have, and IRCAS, the company handling the debt collection don't have an online appeals process for Fixed Penalty Notices, just Fixed Penalty Fares and Unpaid Fare Notices.

I'm about to send a letter in appeal against this fine because it's drastically out of proportion with the train fare. I would be willing to pay the fare and any reasonable admin fees associated with my case.

Does anyone have advice on where to appeal, bar sending a letter to the address I was issued my notice from?

Also, has anyone dealt with a Fixed Penalty Notice before because I'm struggling to find info on them.

Thanks,

Mark.

giraffe69

My advice is don't. What case have you got?
You elected not to buy a ticket in advance and when you got on the train you did not find the conductor to do so which you are required to do.
Glad to know Northern Rail are taking action against fare dodgers.

browneyedbazzi

There isn't a way to appeal against a Fixed Penalty Notice - accepting and paying an FPN is a way to discharge your liability for the commission of a specified offence without attending court and risking a more severe penalty. If you fail to pay an FPN within the timescale on the ticket (usually 28 days I believe) you will receive a summons to attend court and answer the charge.

Looksguywalker

mwinston wrote: »

Hi,

I've just received a Fixed Penalty Notice from Northern Rail from a journey I made 4 months ago. The fine is £80 plus £4 for the journey.

I expected to buy a ticket on the train between Manchester Piccadilly and Cheadle Hulme because when I do this journey, I can always do that. I don't use the train regularly, I don't commute using the train and I do this journey once every few months. On this particular occasion, a conductor didn't come around the train and when I got off 4 members of Northern Rail staff were waiting to check tickets and take the details of those without them.

I tried to buy a ticket from a machine but was told it was only for outbound journeys and wasn't offered another way to purchase a ticket, I just had to give a member of staff my details. Now I have a Fixed Penalty Notice.

I can't find much info on these online, mainly forum posts. Northern Rail only seem to mention Fixed Penalty Fares on their website which isn't what I have, and IRCAS, the company handling the debt collection don't have an online appeals process for Fixed Penalty Notices, just Fixed Penalty Fares and Unpaid Fare Notices.

I'm about to send a letter in appeal against this fine because it's drastically out of proportion with the train fare. I would be willing to pay the fare and any reasonable admin fees associated with my case.

Does anyone have advice on where to appeal, bar sending a letter to the address I was issued my notice from?

Also, has anyone dealt with a Fixed Penalty Notice before because I'm struggling to find info on them.

Thanks,

Mark.

There is a dedicated travel board above which may be more helpful for you

The_ICT_Engineer

As the booking office is open from 6am until 10pm, plus there also being self service machines at Cheadle Hulme station. You don't have a leg to stand on, So pay up

wealdroam

Post on the Public Transport board.

HappyMJ

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/man.html

Penalty Fares do not apply from Manchester Piccadilly station so what is the fixed penalty for?

System

You should have bought a ticket.

However in future don't give them your name. They are not allowed to touch you so just walk past. All they can do is get the police to stop you, but I am guessing at 10pm tonight at cheadle Hulme there was no police around?

Personally I don't like fare dodgers but I also hate northern rail so its a difficult one!

munchings-n-crunchings

As penalty fares don't apply to Manchester Piccadilly, I would assume the penalty notice will be for boarding a train without a ticket.

My daughter is in the same position. Boards a daily train from an unmanned, non penalty station, where it's custom and practice to purchase the ticket on the train.
Out of the blue, she was given a warning card, advising her to purchase her ticket before travel, ie the day before. The train operator says it's upto the guards discretion if he takes the money or issues the fixed penalty notice.

I would be tempted to appeal on the basis of travelling from a non penalty station, and if you have the penalty notice, it should have been issued when you arrived at your destination, upload it to the public transport board, where they can check it for errors, as if these are found, then the fine isn't valid, and that's further grounds for your appeal

Regards
Munchie

Handsome90

I was once given penalty fare by a train company. I appealed and still lost. The appealing process is not at all fair (like the private parking appealing process). The only way I was able to get the penalty fare refunded is when I got in touch with Passenger Focus and they got in touch with the train company in behalf of me

I strongly suggest you do the same. The link to their website is below: http://www.passengerfocus.org.uk/help/rail-complaints

C_Mababejive

Why didnt you simply give them faux details?