Research undertaken on passengers’ views regarding those who consistently fare dodge on South Western Railway (SWR) services has shown that over 59% passengers view repeated fare evaders in a very negative light.

The research was commissioned by SWR and undertaken by YouGov Plc, who surveyed 2,062 passengers on 21st and 22nd October 2025.

There has been a lot of coverage regarding fare dodgers this year, with the Office of Rail and Road releasing its own report into the problem in June.

SWR began a campaign to crack down on those who regularly avoid paying for train travel, which included installing posters displayed in the style of a destination board highlighting the consequences of fare evasion, laid out from the lowest to the strongest of offences. The posters are now a common sight across much of their network.

Channel 5’s documentary ‘Fare Dodgers: At War with the Law’ also helped, as it shone a light on SWR’s Revenue Protection Officers as they tackle the problem, which unfortunately included facing abusive and threatening behaviour from the fare dodgers themselves.

On a national scale, fare dodging is estimated to cost the rail industry £350 to £400 million in lost revenue annually. The punishable offences in place for fare dodging include fines up to £1,000, criminal records and prison sentences.

Of the passengers surveyed as part of this study, 75% agreed that a prison sentence would deter anyone who considered fare evading on rail transport, while 71% of passengers believe that strong on-the-spot fines up to £1,000 would also encourage people to think very carefully when it comes to fare evasion.

45% of passengers also agreed that the embarrassment, stress and emotional aspect of being caught fare evading, on board a train or at a ticket barrier in front of other commuters would be a strong deterrent to prevent anyone from repeating fare dodging.

“It’s always interesting to see what motivates people to do the right thing. While a prison sentence is unsurprisingly a strong deterrent, the research clearly shows that being caught fare dodging can also have an emotional impact.

The majority of our customers pay the correct fare, and we recognise that genuine mistakes can happen. However, there is growing evidence of some individuals deliberately evading payment – a criminal offence that costs the railway hundreds of millions of pounds each year. We have a responsibility to safeguard ticket revenue so that it can be reinvested into delivering the best possible service for our passengers including the roll out of new fleets.”

Peter Williams, Customer and Commercial Director at South Western Railway