New high-security ticket barriers to be installed as government steps up rail fare evasion crackdown

Rail passengers using a number of stations in and around London will soon encounter taller ticket barriers as part of a £33.4 million programme aimed at reducing fare evasion and protecting millions of pounds in railway revenue.

The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced a package of security upgrades that will be delivered by six train operators across England, introducing redesigned ticket gates intended to make it significantly harder for passengers to bypass station barriers.

Among the first locations to receive the new equipment are Elephant & Castle, Gipsy Hill, Royston, Stevenage and Worthing, all served by Thameslink.

The redesigned gates will feature higher paddle barriers to deter people from jumping over them, alongside the installation of additional waist-height barriers, similar to those used throughout the London Underground network.

The investment forms part of the Government's wider campaign to tackle fare evasion, following increased ticket inspections and higher penalty fares introduced over the past year.

According to the DfT, fare evasion costs the railway up to £400 million every year in lost income—money that could otherwise be invested in improving passenger services, upgrading trains and enhancing onboard facilities such as Wi-Fi.

Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy said the measures were designed to protect both taxpayers and fare-paying passengers.

"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.

"By stopping fare dodgers before they reach the platform, we're protecting taxpayer cash, supporting investment in the network and ensuring the railway works better for the millions of passengers who do the right thing every day by paying their way.

"As we deliver significant reform across our railways in the lead up to Great British Railways, we are creating a truly joined up railway which is more accountable and better equipped to deliver the reliable, modern railway passengers deserve, to create jobs, growth and homes."

In addition to Thameslink, funding will support barrier upgrades on networks operated by Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, Greater Anglia, TransPennine Express and West Midlands Trains.

The first installations are expected to begin during 2027, with the programme due for completion by mid-2028.

Although Transport for London has not been included in the latest DfT funding allocation, fare evasion remains a significant issue across the capital's transport network.

Figures previously published by TfL estimate that around 400,000 journeys are made without payment on a typical weekday, resulting in annual revenue losses of approximately £200 million.

The transport authority says 3.5% of journeys across its network currently involve fare evasion and has set a target of reducing that figure to 1.5% by 2030/31. During the year ending March, TfL issued just over 69,000 penalty fares, an increase of 9% compared with the previous year.

Passengers caught travelling without a valid ticket currently face a £100 penalty fare, reduced to £50 if paid within 21 days.

The Government has indicated that further phases of the barrier upgrade programme could be rolled out to additional stations across the UK in the future.