I have paid the fine now and will be doing this, thanks HB

I just think for someone who HAD the railcard on the platform to be charged such a hefty fine and then be treated as some kind of criminal is utterly unfair and bullying. I understand lots of people travel without railcards knowingly and that's why the rules are there, but I think that paying an extra £30 for a new ticket (rightly so) and then a £55 for a genuine mistake is rather unfair.

Thanks for your replies guys.. Sorry I did mean penalty fare not fine.. When entering Victoria you have to provide your railcard with your ticket (at least I had to) and when I realised I'd left my railcard at Worthing Station my guard ripped up my ticket and made me buy a new one (£30) and issued me with a £55 penalty fare. I think you're probably right and I will just have to pay it, i just find it so unfair that I had my ticket when I got on to the platform at Worthing and I bought a full price ticket at Victoria when it was apparent my railcard was not with me but I still got issued with a huge penalty fare! I sent an initial appeal which was rejected, so I tried to write to them again and enclosed a complaints letter too but they just ignored my response (well that was 10 days ago and nothing back) and they won';t speak to me on the phone and it's near approaching 3 weeks since the fine was issued. I just feel the whole thing is unjust because I went through the gates at Worthing WITH a railcard and it was a genuine mistake and the guy at Victoria was SO rude to me it had me in tears on my birthday (never nice!) and on the train up my ticket was checked and not my railkcard and if it had been at this earlier stage then maybe I wouldn't have had such a huge penalty fare!

Hi, I'm really distressed and in need of help. On my birthday I travelled from Worthing to London on a advance ticket purchased online. The ticket was only valid with a railcard. When I got on at Worthing station I had my railcard. Somewhere between getting on tot the platform and getting on to the train I misplaced my railcard. (Later it was retrieved by a guard at Worthing and given back to me).... On te train up I didn't realise my railcard was gone... Only at Victoria did I notice my absnet railcard. My ticket was ripped up by the guard at Victoria and I had to purchase a new one.. I was also given a £55 fine which I appealed but this appeal was unsuccessful even after I produced my railcard and explained my extenuating circumstances. They are now refusing to reply to furhter correspondence.. What should I do? I refuse to pay a fine I feel is totally unjust.