The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced a £33.4 million investment to install taller ticket barriers at railway stations across England to deter fare evasion. The funding will target "fare dodger hotspots," with new gates designed to prevent passengers from jumping over them.
London stations affected
In London, Elephant & Castle and Gipsy Hill stations will receive new barriers, operated by Thameslink Southern Great Northern. Other operators receiving funding include Avanti West Coast (Liverpool Lime Street and Stafford), East Midlands Railway (Market Harborough), Greater Anglia (Hertford East, Manningtree, Rayleigh, Ware, Witham), TransPennine Express (Manchester Piccadilly), and West Midlands Trains (Nuneaton, Tamworth, Worcester Foregate Street, Worcester Shrub Hill).
Industry-wide problem
The Rail Delivery Group estimates that at least £350 million to £400 million of annual fares revenue is lost to fraud and ticketless travel. Rail minister Lord Hendy said: “Fare evasion is not a victimless crime – it undermines confidence in the railway and means passengers lose out on millions in revenue which should be invested to improve services for everyone.”
The rollout of the new gates is expected to begin in the first half of next year and be completed by mid-2028.
TfL crackdown shows results
Transport for London (TfL) reported 69,001 penalty fares issued in the year to March, a 9% increase from the previous year. Penalty fares are £100, reduced to £50 if paid within 21 days. A further 21,533 cases resulted in reports for possible prosecution, up 19% year-on-year. TfL also checked 6.9 million contactless payment cards, a 51% rise, and secured 14,406 convictions for fare evasion in 2025/26, up 955 from the prior year.
In a recent case, a person was convicted after using a bank card banned by TfL due to previous breaches, admitting 181 offences and ordered to pay £2,131.
TfL said 3.5% of passengers evade fares, which is "significantly lower than many cities globally," and aims to reduce this to 1.5% by 2030/31. Siwan Hayward, TfL’s director of security, policing and enforcement, said: “The overwhelming majority of customers pay the correct fare, and it’s unfair that a minority avoid paying. Fare evasion is not a victimless crime. It robs Londoners of vital investment in a safe, frequent and reliable transport network.”
