Prosecutions for fare evasion on the London Underground have surged to their highest level in six years, according to figures obtained by the BBC. In the 2024-25 period, Transport for London (TfL) prosecuted 3,691 individuals for fare dodging. Additionally, TfL issued 13,118 penalty fare notices (PFNs) and 850 written warnings during the same timeframe.

On the London Overground, a record 12,527 PFNs were issued, although prosecutions fell by a third to 3,044 compared to the previous year, with 440 warnings also given. TfL has stated that fare evasion is "not a victimless crime" and "robs Londoners of vital investment." The organisation aims to reduce fare evasion to 1.5% by 2030.

These statistics were disclosed following a Freedom of Information request made by BBC London, which was prompted by a viral video of shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick confronting fare evaders on the Tube. The peak for Tube fare-dodging prosecutions occurred in 2018-19, with 4,919 prosecutions, but this number dropped to 3,279 the following year. The COVID-19 pandemic saw a significant decline in prosecutions due to reduced passenger numbers, with no PFNs issued on the London Overground in 2020-21 and only 134 prosecutions in 2021-22, as enforcement focused on government Covid regulations.

Warnings for fare evasion have been on the rise, with 2023-24 marking record years for both the Underground (948) and Overground (887). TfL reported spending nearly £14.2 million on fare evasion enforcement on the Tube and £7.7 million on the bus network in 2023-24, collecting £1.3 million in penalty charges. However, the spending levels for the London Overground, Tram network, and Elizabeth line remain unclear, as these services are operated by franchisees that outsource their enforcement teams.

An estimated 3.4% of passengers evaded fares across all services from April to December 2024, a decrease of 0.4% from the previous year. Siwan Hayward, TfL's director of security, policing, and enforcement, emphasised that "the overwhelming majority of our customers pay the correct fare" and described fare evasion as "unacceptable." He added, "That is why we are strengthening our capability to deter and detect fare evaders, including expanding our team of professional investigators to target the most prolific fare evaders across the network."

TfL currently deploys over 500 uniformed officers across the network to address fare evasion and other antisocial behaviour, ensuring the safety of both staff and customers.