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BOUNDARY FARES


Passengers who owned a Travelcard at any time from 1 October 2015 and also purchased a rail fare from a station within the zones of their Travelcard to a destination outside of those zones may be eligible for compensation

The Boundary Fares Case

 

In February 2019, Charles Lyndon brought the first stand-alone collective action in the Competition Appeal Tribunal on behalf of millions of passengers who have paid twice for part of their train journeys.

 

Charles Lyndon seeks compensation for all those who have suffered from the train companies’ allegedly anti-competitive behavior. The total sought is around £93 million. If the claim is successful, all persons who have an eligible claim will be able to seek their share of the compensation.

Who Is involved?

 

Passengers who owned a Travelcard at any time from 1 October 2015 and also purchased a rail fare from a station within the zones of their Travelcard to a destination outside of those zones may be eligible for compensation.  Millions of passengers are thought to be affected.

 Everyone who fits the description above and lives in the UK will be automatically included in the class, unless that person chooses to ‘opt-out’. However, non-UK residents will likely be required to ‘opt-in’ to the proceedings to participate.

There is no cost for bringing the action. This claim is being funded by Woodsford Litigation Funding, a specialist litigation funder. By absorbing both the costs and risks associated with a claim of this size, Woodsford is enabling the claim to be brought and ensuring that as many rail passengers as possible benefit from this legal action.

At Charles Lyndon, we understand the distress and inconvenience caused by big corporations that regularly overcharge consumers. This is why we are looking to seek compensation for those affected and have the train companies change their behaviour. We are launching this legal action to ensure that the money that South Western and South Eastern have made from this is returned to those train users.

Boundary Fares: Case History

The claim was filed by our client Mr. Justin Gutmann — a veteran consumer-rights advocate — on behalf of all rail passengers affected. In respect of this claim, Mr. Gutmann stated:

Passengers in London already pay a lot of money for trains that are often delayed or not even running. Now following extensive research, we have found that some passengers are paying twice for parts of their rail journeys.

Millions of rail passengers could be eligible for compensation. Let’s put this right and stop train companies taking passengers for a ride.”

    We believe that the effective imposition of an unfair price for fares is an abuse of the companies’ dominant positions in the train market and is in breach of UK and EU competition laws.

    Charles Lyndon joined forces with Hausfeld & Co, who are pioneers in the private enforcement of competition law in Europe and have extensive experience working on collective actions on behalf of consumers and businesses. 

    Charles Lyndon: Breaking ground

    Dorothea Antzoulatos, Director of Charles Lyndon, said:

    “Charles Lyndon has worked extensively with Mr. Gutmann to develop this case which seeks to recover compensation for millions of rail passengers who have overpaid as a result of what we believe is the behaviour of the defendants. We are delighted to be working together with Hausfeld to represent Mr. Gutmann in what will be the first stand-alone collective action in this country.  A case such as this would not have been practicable before the introduction of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and we hope that as a result of this action millions of rail passengers will be able to recover the compensation that is due to them.”

    The Lawyer Awards 2020

    Charles Lyndon is pleased to announce that the firm, together with Hausfeld London, has been nominated for ‘Competition and Regulatory Team of the Year’ at The Lawyer Awards 2020. The awards recognise exceptional talent in the City of London and across the country. Winners at Awards are a force to be reckoned with, having been highly commended by The Lawyer’s elite judging panel for implementing bold initiatives in the legal industry.

     

    The team has been shortlisted for its exceptional work on the “Trains” case against the South Western and South Eastern rail franchises. The claim was filed at the Competition Appeal Tribunal by our client Mr Justin Gutmann on behalf of rail passengers who have been overcharged due to the limited availability of boundary fares.  The claim is the first stand-alone collective action to be filed in England & Wales.

     

     

    Lets Talk…

    If you have any questions about a specific case we are working on, would like to discuss us representing you or want to know more about who we are and what we do, then speak to our team. We will get back to you as soon as possible.

     

    IMPORTANT NOTICE: The information you provide will be only used by us to administer your enquiry and any response. Use of this form does not create a solicitor-client relationship and information transmitted will not necessarily be treated as privileged or confidential. If you are a client, please get in touch with your usual firm contact directly for the most timely response.

    Lets Talk…

    If you have any questions about a specific case we are working on or want to know more about who we are and what we do, then speak to our team. We will get back to you as soon as possible.

    IMPORTANT NOTICE: The information you provide will be only used by us to administer your enquiry and any response. Use of this form does not create a solicitor-client relationship and information transmitted will not necessarily be treated as privileged or confidential. If you are a client, please get in touch with your usual firm contact directly for the most timely response.

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