Lumo offers great value fares that are fair and we know most customers pay the correct fare for their journey, however in the UK fare evasion is estimated to cost the rail industry £240million a year, which affects fare paying customers. At Lumo we understand that sometimes things go wrong, tickets are misplaced, or railcards are lost and if that happens, we're here to ensure your case is dealt with fairly, respectfully and with discretion.
We also have a firm policy in place to ensure those who avoid paying the correct fare are dealt with in the appropriate manner.
The purpose of our Revenue Protection Policy is to outline our strategy to protect Lumo’s fare paying customers, whilst ensuring customers who have not paid the correct fare are treated fairly. We also want to ensure that our trains are safe and secure environments by reducing ticketless travel and potential associated antisocial behaviours.
Our Commitments & Services
We are committed to ensuring our policy will be enforced on board our trains and that every customer has a valid ticket for their journey but making sure that anyone making a mistake is treated fairly. Our on-board Customer Experience Ambassadors are trained to the highest standards in customer service and they will demonstrate fairness, respect and discretion in every circumstance.
In line with our environmental focus, Lumo is a digital company, we strongly advise that you purchase a digital ticket using our own website or via our app LumoGo.
We operate a buy onboard policy, however we highly recommend that you book in advance and make a reservation, so that you know where you are sitting. Our Lumo Fixed Tickets are our best value tickets and can only be used on the date and train you have booked, although for a small fee you can change your ticket before the scheduled departure time. Anytime tickets can be used on any of our trains on the date on your ticket (or for return tickets, to come back any date within a month). To find out more about our tickets please click here.
If you board the train without a ticket and cannot or will not purchase a ticket on board, you will be issued an Unpaid Fare Notice (UFN). Please see below for further information on UFN's.
Lost or Forgotten Tickets
We appreciate that mishaps do sometimes happen, and we will treat you fairly in the event this occurs. If you board our trains and have lost or misplaced a Lumo Fixed Ticket we will ask you to purchase a new full Anytime ticket to allow you to complete your journey with Lumo. However, if you are able to find the original Lumo fixed ticket and provide this to us within 21 days we will happily refund the cost of the ticket purchased on board. To take advantage of this please send copies of the original fixed Lumo ticket, the ticket purchased onboard, and receipts to our customer service team. Unfortunately, we cannot accept seat reservations or receipts as proof in lieu of a ticket.
Invalid Tickets
Customers who board the train with the wrong ticket will be required to purchase a new ticket which is valid for their journey. For example, if you are booked on the 12pm train but you board the 10am train, you will be required to purchase a new Anytime Single ticket for that journey. Or if you board one of our trains with a ticket that is specifically for another operator, for example marked “LNER Only” or “XC Only”, you will be asked to purchase a valid Lumo ticket. If you are unable or unwilling to purchase a new ticket you will be issued with a UFN for your journey with Lumo.
If you feel the restrictions of your ticket were not clear at the point of purchase you will still need to purchase a new ticket for your journey with Lumo, and we recommend that you then contact the retailer that sold you your ticket.
Railcards
Customers are welcome to use any accepted Railcard to purchase a ticket before departure or on board our trains. Please find further information on Railcards, including the ones we accept here. If you book a ticket before departure but do not have your railcard present when your tickets are checked on board, we will ask you to purchase a new Anytime Ticket without any railcard discount. If you then find your railcard and provide this to us within 21 days, we will refund the cost of the Anytime Ticket you purchased onboard. To take advantage of this service our customer service team will need to see copies of the original discounted ticket, the new ticket purchased, any receipts and a clear image of the railcard held showing that it was valid at the time the journey was made.
First Class
One of the unique features of Lumo is that we do not have first-class coaches. If you have purchased an Anytime First Class Ticket that allows travel on any train we invite you to purchase an Anytime Single Ticket on-board our train and contact the point of sale you purchased your First Class Ticket from for a refund to save yourself some money. We guarantee you great service without the price tag! However, we understand you may not wish to do this and of course your ticket is still valid for travel.
Unpaid Fare Notices (UFN)
An Unpaid Fare Notice (UFN) is a recognised travel document that permits the passenger, to whom it has been issued, to complete their journey with Lumo and pay the appropriate fare after the journey has been completed. The notice will show the station you boarded the Lumo service and what station you will depart, as well as the full anytime single fare that is due to be paid for this journey.
To correctly issue your UFN and to allow you to continue your journey without further interruption we would ask you to provide some contact information to us. This will include your name, address, contact number, and email address. We would ask that you provide correct personal contact information when asked by a member of the Lumo team. Intentionally supplying false information or refusing to give this information when asked is a criminal offense.
We instantly issue a copy of the notice by email; so, we advise that the email address you provide is one that you have access to at the time the notice is issued – you may need to show it to exit at a station. Where an email address cannot be provided, we will send out a paper copy by post - this will usually be sent within 5 working days of the notice being issued.
When and how do I pay?
From the date the notice is issued to you we allow 21 calendar days for you to pay the fare due for the journey you have made. You can make a payment by credit or debit card using our online payment portal, using the unique reference on your UFN and the date it was issued.
To pay a UFN please click here.
If you wish to appeal against your UFN please do so within 21 days of travel. Please provide your statement and your evidence here. We will get back to you as soon as possible to let you know whether we accept your evidence, need any further information, or still require payment if your evidence is not suitable to cancel the UFN.
We would advise paying your UFN within these 21 days to avoid receiving follow-up letters and incurring administration charges, which will increase the amount due. If you do not pay your UFN within the 21 days and have not responded to our reminders this may result in a summons to court. If you are having difficulties paying the UFN please go to www.railpay.uk
Ticket Irregularity Report (TIR)
If you are traveling without a valid ticket for your Lumo journey an Ambassador may choose to ask you some questions about your journey and ticket. This is in order to complete a short report to allow our revenue protection team to investigate further.
The Ambassador will not caution you or detain you in any way. However, the Ambassador team may take photos of tickets or accompanying documentation if they believe it is not valid, they may also decide to withdraw these and submit them with their report.
We would ask that you provide correct personal contact information when asked by a member of the Lumo team. Intentionally supplying false information or refusing to give this information when asked is a criminal offense.
If there is evidence that an offence has been committed, then you will be contacted by our revenue protection team. This service is provided to us by First Customer Contact Ltd, who act on our behalf.
Lumo understands the serious impact that a prosecution can have on both your personal and professional life. We are committed to treating all our passengers fairly and with respect, this is why where possible we will attempt to reach an out of court settlement with you before we initiate court proceedings. This would typically mean we would ask you to pay any fare due for journeys made and to cover any of costs incurred by us. Once a matter has been settled then no further action will be taken in relation to that particular incident and no restrictions will be put in place to prevent you from future travel with Lumo.
