Transport for London (TfL) has unveiled plans to expand its team of professional investigators as part of a comprehensive strategy to tackle fare evasion across its network.
The new approach aims to halve fare evasion rates to 1.5 per cent or less by 2030, down from the current rate of 3.4 per cent.
While this current figure is significantly lower than other global cities like New York, which reports 13 per cent evasion, fare dodging still costs TfL approximately £130 million annually.
According to TfL, the expanded team will initially focus on the Elizabeth line and London Overground before covering all rail modes.
They will work alongside TfL's existing 500-plus uniformed officers who patrol the network dealing with fare evasion and anti-social behaviour.
Investigators will utilise TfL's Irregular Travel Analysis Platform (ITAP), which analyses ticketing data, passenger information and CCTV to identify persistent offenders.
This intelligence-led approach has already proven effective on the London Underground, where more than £400,000 was recovered through court proceedings last year following the prosecution of 360 prolific fare evaders.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: "Fare evasion is a criminal offence which deprives TfL of thousands of pounds of vital revenue every year that could be reinvested in London's transport network."
"That's why we're expanding our team of professional investigators to cover the whole network and investing in the latest technology to target the worst offenders.It sends a clear message: fare evasion will not be tolerated, and we will hold those who do it to account."
Siwan Hayward, TfL's Director of Security, Policing, and Enforcement, added: "The overwhelming majority of customers pay the correct fare, and it's unfair to those who do that a minority avoid paying.
“We are strengthening our capability to deter and detect fare evaders ensuring they face the consequences of their actions and that the cost of fare evasion is paid by the evaders, not our fare paying customers or taxpayers."
Other measures include enhancing gate security, improving wide-aisle gates often exploited by offenders, and developing tailored interventions for each transport mode.
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