A MUM has sparked a fiery debate online after sharing that her 19-year-old son was hit with a whopping £1,200 fine for using an expired £30 railcard for an entire year.
Taking to Reddit’s r/LegalAdviceUK, the distraught mother revealed that her son, who’s been commuting back and forth from university, was recently caught out.
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The inspector who caught him informed him that his railcard was no longer valid.
To make matters worse, a letter soon arrived at their doorstep, demanding a hefty £1,200 for the dozens of journeys he’d made without a valid railcard.
The mum said: “He never thought to check if it was valid this whole time.
“He was under the impression he paid for a three-year railcard, but it was just the one-year one.”
Her husband, however, is fuming and believes they shouldn’t have to cough up the full amount.
He argues that if an inspector had flagged the issue earlier in the year, his son would have renewed the railcard straight away and only been fined for one journey.
The dad insists they should fight the fine, only paying for the most recent incident.
But the mum fears that refusing to pay could land their son in court and possibly with a criminal record.
A one-year National Rail 16-25 Railcard costs £30 and can save users up to £192 annually.
The railcard can be renewed online 30 days before expiry, and the website does send out email reminders.
But, as the site clearly states, “It’s still on you to make sure that your Railcard is valid before buying or using Railcard-discounted tickets.”
The story quickly made its way to social media, where it ignited a heated debate.
One user shared the post on X (formerly Twitter), blasting the fine as “disgusting” and calling on the Secretary of State for Transport to step in.
They said: “A Railcard is £30. £1,200 is not proportionate.”
But the internet was far from unanimous. Some were quick to slam the young commuter for not checking his railcard’s validity.
One user wrote: “Sorry, this is c**p. I’ve been travelling on trains for nearly 60 years. Always with a valid railcard or ticket. You don’t pay, you get punished. Simple as.”
Another added:“It’s not just once though, is it? Repeated use of the railcard over a year.
“It’s steep—but it’s a repeated incident, and he didn’t even check once.”
Still, others felt the punishment didn’t fit the crime.
A user said: “This is barely even a ‘crime’ and extremely disproportionate. Shame on those excusing this.
Another chimed in, backing the dad’s stance: “It should be on the rail service to have realised the first time.
“One-time fine for the most recent travel instance would have been sufficient in my opinion.
“It seems like a genuine mistake, and the kid is obviously gonna be renewing it. Bit extreme.”
Whether this mum and her son will fight the fine or cough up the cash remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure—this story has certainly got the internet talking.
Meanwhile, it’s not just train riders that need to watch out for hefty fines.
A woman claims to have been handed £11,000 in parking fines thanks to a “ridiculous” five-minute rule despite paying for a permit.
Rules for using a railcard in the UK
- Keep it with you: You should keep your railcard with you at all times while traveling, it is also against the rules not to carry a railcard with you.
- Use it within the area: You can use your railcard within the Network Railcard area.
- Check for restrictions: Some railcards have restrictions on when you can use them. For example, the Senior Railcard doesn’t allow discounts during morning rush hour in London and the South East, except on public holidays. The 16-25 Railcard has a minimum fare of £12 between 4:30 AM and 9:59 AM Monday through Friday, except in July and August.
- Minimum fares: Some railcards also have minimum fares that apply to each person traveling. For example, the Network Railcard has a minimum fare of £13 for journeys Monday through Friday, except on bank holidays.
- Only for your use: Railcards are only for the person named on the card and don’t cover anyone else.
- Check for conditions: Some tickets may have additional conditions or restrictions, such as time restrictions for return travel from central London.
