£73m lawsuit against Govia Thameslink for millions of passengers who are paying scandalous fares 

Govia Thameslink Railway is accused of making 3.2m of its customers pay twice when travelling in London.

Govia Thameslink Railway – which runs Great Northern, Southern and Thameslink – is accused of making 3.2m of its customers pay twice when travelling in London by not making so-called ‘boundary fares’ easily available. Sign up to stay updated if you have owned a TfL Travelcard and also travel outside London on these lines.

Consumer rail campaigner, Justin Gutmann, said:

‘The failure by these companies to make boundary fares more freely available is scandalous and has been going on for years.’

About the claim against Govia Thameslink Railway

Boundary fares allow passengers who own a Travelcard to travel beyond the zones it covers without doubling up the cost of a ticket. So, if you own a zone 1-4 Travelcard, but need to travel between Victoria and Brighton you should be able to buy a fare from the edge of zone 4. 

Gutmann says these fares are not easily available online and rarely offered at a ticket office. He estimates that 240m journeys since November 2015 could have been cheaper if passengers  had been aware of boundary fares.

Gutmann, who has court approval to represent affected customers, accuses Govia Thameslink Railway of breaching UK competition laws by doubling up on charges Travelcard holders face when travelling on certain routes. He is seeking £73.3 million in damages for affected passengers.

Legal team behind the claim

Gutmann has instructed the law firms Charles Lyndon and Hausfeld & Co LLP to represent him in what is being called the Boundary Fares Claims. He is represented by Roger Burnett from Charles Lyndon and Luke Streatfeild from Hausfeld. 

The claim was launched in November 2021. The Competition Appeal Tribunal gave the green light in March 2023 for the claim can go to trial. Those people affected will not be charged legal fees if it goes to trial, and do not need to contact lawyers.

Who is eligible for compensation?

You could be eligible for compensation if you owned a TfL Travelcard at any time from 24 November 2015, and bought a rail fare from a station within the zones of your Travelcard to a destination outside the zones. 

You are automatically eligible for compensation if you live in the UK, unless you opt out. You can still claim if you live outside the UK but you must proactively opt in to be eligible. Sign up to Consumer Voice to stay updated and to find out when you can claim.

Govia Thameslink Railway yet to make a full response

A Govia Thameslink Railway spokesperson said at the time the claim was launched: ‘We are aware of this proposed claim. Should the claim progress, we will make our submissions to the tribunal in due course.’

A similar overcharging claim is being pursued by Gutmann against Southeastern and South Western routes.