Received a Letter from Transport Investigations Limited?

Transport Investigations Limited (TIL) is a private company that acts as prosecution agent for a number of National Rail train operators. TIL investigates suspected fare evasion, makes decisions on whether to proceed with prosecution, and conducts prosecutions on the operator’s behalf. TIL is not a court, a police force, or a government body — it is a private prosecution agent.

Operators that use TIL include West Midlands Railway, Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, and Transport for Wales, among others. If you have received a letter from TIL, it will identify which rail operator the letter is on behalf of.

A letter from Transport Investigations Limited is a Notice of Intention to Prosecute. It means TIL is considering bringing a prosecution on behalf of the rail operator. It is not a summons and no court proceedings have been commenced. You are not yet convicted of anything.

This is the most important stage at which to act. A well-prepared written response from a solicitor, setting out the relevant circumstances and arguing that prosecution is not in the public interest, can result in TIL deciding not to proceed. This avoids any court involvement, any criminal record, and any DBS disclosure.

TIL letters typically give 21 days from the date of the letter to respond. Acting within this deadline is important. If no satisfactory response is received, TIL will typically proceed to issue a summons or Single Justice Procedure Notice. Once a summons is issued, options narrow — though representations can still be made to TIL and the operator at that stage.

David Roy makes pre-summons representations to Transport Investigations Limited on behalf of clients across England. He is based in Birmingham and regularly acts for clients facing prosecution by West Midlands Railway, Avanti West Coast, and Chiltern Railways via TIL.

David drafts written representations to TIL covering: the specific circumstances of the journey and any explanation for the situation; personal mitigation, including employment, family, and health circumstances; the consequences of a conviction for the individual; and the public interest factors that weigh against prosecution. TIL is required to consider representations before making a prosecution decision. A persuasive set of representations from a solicitor, submitted before the deadline, can make a significant difference to whether TIL proceeds.