A man brazenly defied court orders and accumulated a staggering debt by repeatedly evading train fares, allegedly costing the railway system tens of thousands of pounds.
Charles Brohiri, 29, stands accused of avoiding payment for 112 journeys on Govia Thameslink trains between February 2024 and November of last year, totaling £3,266. This isn’t an isolated incident; authorities claim this behavior continued even while he was out on bail.
The extent of the alleged fraud is immense. Brohiri faces demands to repay £15,120 stemming from over 112 previous prosecutions, alongside unpaid fines reaching a colossal £48,682 accumulated between August 2019 and April 2025.
Despite being banned from all Thameslink stations in April of last year, Brohiri was reportedly caught without a valid ticket dozens of times. His defiance culminated in another alleged attempt just three days before his latest court appearance.
A judge previously warned Brohiri in August, emphasizing the seriousness of his bail conditions: “It’s very important you take these bail conditions seriously – you don’t get on any train without having the money.” He was released on bail, awaiting sentencing on February 11th.
The case highlights a growing problem across London’s transport network. Transport for London (TfL) reported losses of nearly £200 million to fare evasion in the 2024/25 period, a significant increase from the approximately £130 million lost in 2022/23.
The Elizabeth line saw 15,930 penalty fares issued in the same period, with 3,751 fare dodgers facing prosecution. The Underground and Overground also saw substantial numbers of prosecutions – 4,063 and 3,044 respectively.
Prosecutions for fare evasion are now at their highest level since 2018/19, signaling a crackdown on those attempting to exploit the system and a growing financial burden on public transport.
