Ticket checks ramped up on the DLR in fare evasion crackdown

"Fare evasion is set to get harder on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) as the operator steps up ticket inspections on trains. As most of the DLR stations don't have ticket barriers, there's a certain level of trust that people tend to do the right thing and pay for transport, and the vast majority do pay to take a ride on the DLR."

"However, the RMT union recently warned that requiring staff to check at least 600 customers per week could lead to a dispute with the franchise operator, as it wasn't consulted on the increase. In addition to checks by train staff during journeys, the DLR also conducts around 40 inspections at stations every 4 weeks, during which a group of staff checks tickets as people leave the station."

Fare evasion enforcement on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) has intensified with more frequent onboard ticket inspections and targeted station checks. Most DLR stations lack barriers, relying on passenger compliance, though some stations like Woolwich Arsenal experience deliberate barrier-jumping. A 2023 trial to make ticket machines more noticeable reduced forgotten taps. Since April 2025 the new franchise increased annual revenue protection exercises from 360 to 540 and raised the target for contactless card checks from 10% to 15%. The RMT union warned that a requirement to check at least 600 customers per week could provoke a dispute with the operator.

Read at ianVisits