West Midlands Penalty Fine

Bender000

Writing on behalf of someone else:

My husband and I got a train from London to Luton a few days ago. We are both new to this country, arriving as students a few weeks ago. We had valid Oyster cards, but apparently these are not valid for the journey we made. Three conductors gathered around us and pestered us for our details, which we gave, even though we could not understand what they were saying. They then issued fines to us both.

Please advise.

Thanks 

TadleyBaggie

Oyster validity is limited to a few destination outside the zone 1-9 area, Luton isn't one of them:

https://www.londontravelwatch.org.uk/useful-information/oyster-contactless-payments/oyster-and-contactless-payments-where-can-i-use-my-pay-as-you-go-oyster-card/

James_Londoner

You mention Luton but the documentation suggests you were on the Euston to Northampton line. 

What was the actual journey you made?  

Bender000

Worth appealling or not?

la531983

Bender000 said:

Worth appealling or not?

You need to answer the question posed above. 

TadleyBaggie

You would better off posting this on a forum that specialises in rail ticket offences, such as the “Disputes and Prosecutions” section of the RailUK forum:

https://www.railforums.co.uk/forums/

GingerTim

I don't see how you can appeal - Oyster is not a valid payment method for travelling from Euston to Northampton.

Bender000

GingerTim said:

I don't see how you can appeal - Oyster is not a valid payment method for travelling from Euston to Northampton.

Just feels nasty, new people, didn't know the rules (heck I've been caught out a few times and I'm born and bred), could have just given a warning.

Bender000

James_Londoner said:

You mention Luton but the documentation suggests you were on the Euston to Northampton line. 

What was the actual journey you made?  

Euston to Northampton.

GingerTim

Bender000 said:

GingerTim said:

I don't see how you can appeal - Oyster is not a valid payment method for travelling from Euston to Northampton.

Just feels nasty, new people, didn't know the rules (heck I've been caught out a few times and I'm born and bred), could have just given a warning.

While I take the point, ignorance of the law isn't a defence and Northampton is nowhere near the Oyster zone. I would recommend paying the penalty fare to avoid this escalating.

As for nasty, I think the RPI has done you a significant kindness and probably in mitigation of the situation., i.e. a penalty fare reducible by prompt payment. The alternative is to report you for prosecution for fare dodging, which is a whole lot more expensive and complicated to resolve, and which may have been a more likely outcome had you got to the gateline at Northampton.

Neil49

Bender000 said:

James_Londoner said:

You mention Luton but the documentation suggests you were on the Euston to Northampton line. 

What was the actual journey you made?  

Euston to Northampton.

I've just checked West Midlands trains and there is no service from Euston to Luton. 

If you are travelling to Luton you would have to leave from St Pancras and would use Thameslink or East Midlands railway. 

I don't know what you were doing but basically you haven't got any excuse. Just pay the fine.