Undercover police on the Tube: 24 arrests in TfL fare dodging crackdown

Updated 3 Nov 2026, 12:30 · First published 3 Nov 2026

Plain-clothes police officers are now patrolling London Underground stations to catch fare dodgers, and they made 24 arrests in the first month. The crackdown, called Operation Vector, is run by TfL and British Transport Police.

What is Operation Vector?

It started on 5 October. Plain-clothes British Transport Police officers work alongside TfL’s revenue and enforcement teams. Unlike regular ticket checks, the officers are spread out beyond the ticket gates, so fare dodgers can be stopped anywhere in the station. In some cases, officers also seized drugs and knives.

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About 50 people were stopped at North Greenwich on Monday alone. Siwan Hayward, TfL’s Director of Security, Policing and Enforcement, said: “We have seen huge successes in just the few weeks it has been running.” She added: “What makes this distinct is that it’s a plain-clothed operation.”

How much does fare dodging cost TfL?

TfL estimates that fare evasion costs it up to around £210 million a year, money it says should go back into the network. About 3.5% of journeys across TfL are not paid for, rising to around 5% on the Underground. TfL wants to get that below 1.5% by 2030/31.

Since April, more than 33,000 penalty fares have been issued across the network. More than 11,000 people have been reported for prosecution, and over 2,400 have been reported for barrier misuse. TfL also says disputes over fares are linked to around 40% of reported violence and aggression against its staff.

What has the Mayor’s office said?

Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor for Transport, said: “Fare evasion is a criminal offence and prevents essential funds being reinvested to improve our transport network… We will not tolerate it, and you will be held to account.”

British Transport Police Chief Inspector Daniel Rushall said the operation “has already provided us with valuable opportunities to identify and apprehend criminals and high harm offenders.”

What happens if you are caught?

You can be given a £100 penalty fare on the spot, or reported for prosecution. TfL says it will keep sending the plain-clothes teams to stations with the most barrier-jumping, especially busy interchanges.

Sources: ianVisits, Local Democracy Reporting Service via MyLondon, London Streets. Photo: TheFrog001 / Wikimedia Commons, CC0.