Train ticket penalty - need advice

Cpu2007

Hello everyone, I hope someone can help me on this problem.
I don't think there's a solution but was wondering if someone,by experience, could help me as the penalty charge being asked to pay it's simply ridicolous.

I get the ticket all the time from station A to B. station A has an office where I can buy ticket, office B doesn't and my journy is basically a return ticket A-B

On this day, I was going trying to get the train,which I was late for and because I didn't want to miss it, I jumped in without buying the ticket.

Arriving at station B, I got stopped there by an inspector who fined me for not having a ticket;I've explained that I always buy it and it's just that I would have missed my train and that I would have bought a full day ticket on the way back. Obviously, he didn't believe.

I sent an appeal,showing the proof of all the tickets that I bought previously for each week and yet I was asked to pay a fine of £80.

Is it there anything I can do about it?, is £80 a justified?
amount(parking,speeding or some police fines are lower than that).

Thank you

London50

Sorry but at the end of the day you were travelling without a valid ticket for your journey. Be the fact that you travel 365 days a year paying each time will not be taken into account as per the t&c for rail travel,you were caught and that is the end of it.My comment {if I were an inspector} would have been " you knew the train time and know how long it takes to get to the station so you should have left earlier"
As to the fine it may be higher than speeding ect but that is the charge and you could challenge it but I would bet you would not win.
Do not get me wrong I do feel for you but I am afraid you are stuck with it.

wealdroam

Cpu2007 wrote: »

I sent an appeal,showing the proof of all the tickets that I bought previously for each week and yet I was asked to pay a fine of £80.

Isn't it reduced to £40 if you pay promptly?

It might help if you feel able to tell us the stations.

Skinarelli

If you think the fixed penalty of £80 is ridiculous, please be advised that if you fail to pay it on time, your details will be passed to the Magistrates Court resulting in an increased fine. It's not uncommon for these fixed penalties to rise to 3 or 4 times the original amount once the Magistrates Court gets involved.

esuhl

I thought the standard penalty fare was £20 (or double the price of an undiscounted single ticket if higher)?

I wouldn't have said that an £80 fine was justified, since you ask... But it doesn't really matter what I think. It sounds like the fine has been legally issued.

timbo58

It's a 'strict liability offence' therefore it matters not whether the inspector believed you bought tickets regularly and impeccably or not.
A 'strict liability' means: you had travelled without 1st buying a ticket, so it's a standard penalty fare or you can opt to go to court.
The PF is about 1/3 of what the court would fine IF found guilty.

If there was any evidence you had deliberately avoided/attempted to avoid the fare then a PF would not have been given: you'd be reported for prosecution instead.

Cpu2007

Thank you for all the replies guys. Yes I totally agree that it was a mistake not buying the ticket, even if I know the time, people get late... just as an example their trains get late often but we don't get anything out of it.
The station was moston(manchester)- from manchester

I'm aware of the court situation and that's why I wanted some advice here to see if it was possible to challenge it like I did a few times with parking tickets.

I guess in this case I'll just have to pay.

martinbuckley

Cpu2007 wrote: »

I get the ticket all the time from station A to B.

Why didn't you have a ST?

That would have saved you both time (queuing every day) and money. After all, that's what this site is supposed to be about!

Cpu2007

martinbuckley wrote: »

Why didn't you have a ST?

That would have saved you both time (queuing every day) and money. After all, that's what this site is supposed to be about!

By that I mean that I buy tickets all the time but I don't go everyday to work. Sometime 3,sometime 4 days a week depending on the calls.

dzug1

Cpu2007 wrote: »

just as an example their trains get late often but we don't get anything out of it.
.

There is usually a delay repay scheme if the train is sufficiently late