A student has been left outraged after receiving a £120 fine for ‘sitting in the wrong part of the first class carriage’.
Theo Griffiths, 19, from Boston, Lincolnshire, had been travelling to London on a Thameslink train on Tuesday when he was moved into the first-class carriage of the train due to overcrowding.
Believing he had been placed into ‘declassified’ seating, the student then sat down at the front of the first-class carriage, despite only having a standard-class ticket.
But when a ticket instructor came round, he was given a £129 fine.
Theo had been travelling on a 8:15am Thameslink train from Stevenage to London, but after boarding the train, he soon realised that that was no where for him to sit, prompting him to move into the first class carriage.
He claimed that he was fined on the spot and was not given the option to move from his seat back to standard class, saying he was ‘blocked’ from moving by the train guard.
Enraged by the incident, the 19-year-old took to Twitter where he shared an impassioned rant blasting the train company, Thameslink.
On Tuesday, he wrote: ‘Hi @TLRailUK, I have been fined £79.50, along with most of the carriage this morning, for sitting in the front first class section.
Theo Griffiths, 19, from Boston, Lincolnshire, (pictured) had been travelling to London on Tuesday when he was moved into the first-class carriage of the train due to overcrowding
Believing he had been placed into ‘declassified’ seating, the student then sat down at the front of the first-class carriage, despite only having a standard-class ticket, where he was then fined £79.50 for sitting in the wrong part of the train
‘Please can you explain the difference from sitting in the back first class, where it’s allowed, to the front and how that it worth £79.50.’
The post received more than 6.5 million views in 24 hours as well as attracting more than 1000 comments.
He described the incident as ‘really unacceptable’, furious with what he views as a ‘disproportionate amount for the crime’.
‘It is really unacceptable to expect a student to be able to afford this disproportionate amount for the crime of getting a seat on a super busy train that I’d already paid a silly amount for,’ he complained.
According to the teenager, the train guard who fined him was ‘rude and hostile’.
He claimed he was left better off than some other passengers, some of whom landed even dearer £100 or £150 fines because they ‘argued back’.
Responding to Theo’s initial post, Thameslink wrote: ‘Hi Theo, are you able to advise where you boarded the train, what time and direction please?’
He claimed he was left better off than some other passengers, some of whom landed even dearer £100 or £150 fines because they ‘argued back’
Thameslink’s website states that the first class seating at the back of its trains is ‘always declassified’ though this isn’t the case at the front of the train
‘If the front, first class facilities were in action and you didn’t hold a first class ticket then travelling in this portion of the train could result in a penalty fare.’
Thameslink’s website states that the first class seating at the back of its trains is ‘always declassified’ though this isn’t the case at the front of the train.
Theo responded: ‘The fact that they aren’t always in action creates confusion for customers, that is the point I am making and results in this. My ticket was Stevenage Kings Cross arriving at 08:14. Your guard even tried to fine someone for standing in 1st class to get off!’
Amongst the thread, Theo also shared that Thameslink had untagged themselves from the offending post and had ‘blocked’ him on the social media app.
He wrote: ‘@TLRailUK have now untagged themselves from the post out of embarrassment and shame as they clearly can’t handle valid criticism of confusing customers.
‘There was no tannoy, no prior notice. Thameslink have now BLCOKED me.’
Other passengers took to the comments to share their shared rage at the situation, with others recalling similar tales.
One wrote: ‘Thameslink tried to fine me for just STANDING in first class, by the carriage exit door. Apparently even breathing first class air is an affront.’
A second wrote: ‘Is this Thameslink? Utterly shameful and needs to be cancelled immediately. Pathetic company.’
However, not everyone agreed that the incident was ‘shameful’, with some insisting the fine was deserved.
‘You sat in the first class section with a standard ticket. It’s pretty obvious what you did wrong here and you deserved the fine,’ one wrote.
Another said: ‘You paid for a first class ticket on a train, if I’m reading your complaint correct that you were sitting in the wrong first class carriage? So don’t claim poverty when you get caught.’
A spokesperson for Govia Thameslink Railway said: ‘Rear first class compartments on Thameslink trains have been declassified since they entered service in 2016, to create more space for customers with regular tickets. We advertise this on the digital displays on board the train as well as on platform screens.
‘In line with the National Rail Conditions of Travel, if someone is travelling in first class with a standard class ticket then they may be subject to a Penalty Fare. This is £100 plus the price of the full single fare applicable for the intended journey, reduced to £50 plus the price of the single fare if paid with 21 days.
‘No-one would think they were not in a first class compartment. It is clearly signposted both on the outside and inside of the carriage. Our station platform train describer boards also clearly state where first class is situated. The compartments also look very different and they are separated from the rest of the carriage by a door.
‘All the Thameslink Class 700 trains passing through Stevenage where Mr Griffiths boarded have first class at the front. People pay a premium for first class tickets and understandably expect us to enforce the rules
