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Fare evasion and antisocial behaviour

Keeping you safe while travelling

Our service improves for everyone when passengers buy tickets, and treat staff, other passengers, and the station or train environment with respect.

Tackling fare evasion and antisocial behaviour

Ensuring safety and security across our transport network is a top priority, and we are continuously evolving our strategies to address fare evasion and antisocial behavior.

To effectively combat these issues, we are implementing a range of measures designed to deter crime, support staff, and provide a safer environment for all passengers.

Two people sitting on a train with a train ticket

Why is this important?

Our services are funded by tax-payers, with all revenue being passed back to the government to fund essential public services.  When someone travels without a ticket, vandalises public property, litters or verbally or physically assaults someone, it drains public resources, costing us all.   

Furthermore, we all deserve to turn up to work, or travel on our railways safely and peacefully.   

Like any crime, the reasons for fare evasion and antisocial behaviour can be complex, and thus require a delicate balance of proactive community work, strong policing and human discretion. 

Our data has identified strong inter-connectivity between these behaviours.  Antisocial behaviour will often occur from individuals who are also fare evading for example. 

Our strategic development areas

Ticketless travel survey

We will use the Ticketless Travel Survey to identify the routes which are vulnerable to fare evasion, including in absolute financial terms. We will identify the stations which are fare evasion hotspots, and focus activity on those locations.

Gateline cover

We will assess gateline cover to make sure that our gatelines are in operation. Ensuring gatelines are closed and monitored is key if we are to prevent customers travelling with an incorrect ticket.

Zero Harm, Fare Evasion reports and local intelligence

We will use reports from Zero Harm, the Fare Evasion app, and local intelligence to identify patterns and hotspots. Colleagues will be encouraged to report incidents to build a rich dataset and help us understand links to antisocial behaviour.

Checking tickets and analysing sales data

We will use barcode data and information from Envoy sales to make sure that tickets are being checked. This will help us locate fare evasion hotspots, where further patrols are required, or whether we need additional customers communications.

How can you help? 

We work tirelessly to try and provide the best experience possible for customers, but as a public service, we also need help from customers to help to provide a pleasant environment for staff and other passengers. If you witness behaviour or something that makes you feel uncomfortable, the British Transport Police want to know about it.

If you witness someone being harassed, you can help by;

  • giving them a way out of the situation, perhaps by offering them a seat
  • checking in to see if they are ok
  • distracting the perpetrator if safe to do so

If you witness antisocial or threatening behaviour, report it to the British Transport Police by texting 61016 or via the BTP website.

You can contact the British Transport Police on 61016 and in an emergency always call 999.

Penalty fares and prosecutions

If you can’t produce a valid ticket for your full journey, you may be charged a Penalty Fare.

Find out more

Safety on the railway

Our safety measures are in place 365 days a year to protect our passengers and staff.

Find out more