Train operators in England are stepping up efforts to prevent various forms of fare evasion, with two major companies introducing new anti-fraud measures this week. South Western Railway and GTR, which operates Thameslink and Southern services, are targeting a practice known as “short-faring,” in which passengers purchase last-minute digital tickets for only the final portion of their journeys, regardless of where they actually boarded. On some routes, operators discovered that up to 95% of tickets were being used fraudulently, prompting restrictions on digital ticket sales for specific services.
Fare evasion has become increasingly problematic as rail services shift toward digital ticketing systems. The Department for Transport estimates that approximately £400m is lost annually to fraud on Britain’s railways through various methods. Beyond short-faring, operators are contending with schemes such as “quick scanning,” where passengers purchase tickets seconds before ticket inspections, “tailgating,” in which travelers slip through gates behind paying customers, and “donutting,” where passengers buy separate cheap tickets for the beginning and end of journeys while skipping payment for the middle section. A prominent case earlier this year involved a former banking executive who employed the donutting technique repeatedly over several months.
The government is supporting these efforts through technological solutions and infrastructure investment. A mobile application that tracks phone location to calculate accurate fares is currently being trialed in parts of the East Midlands and Yorkshire, with potential for wider rollout across the future Great British Railways network. Additionally, the transport department has allocated £33m for new or upgraded ticket gates at locations identified as fare evasion hotspots. Officials have also closed a loophole that previously allowed some passengers to claim fraudulent refunds after using services.
Railway commentators suggest that addressing the issue requires a combination of digital analysis and technological innovation, since traditional approaches like stationing guards at every stop are impractical. Some passengers interviewed at stations expressed support for crackdowns, viewing fare evasion as similar to tax avoidance and noting that losses likely contribute to fare increases for legitimate travelers.
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