South Western Railway sends fare dodgers on a guilt trip
By Staff on Tuesday, October 28, 2025
South Western Railway’s latest OOH campaign swaps train station names for feelings no one wants to arrive at – Regret, Disgrace, and Shame.
The work, from independent agency St Luke’s, plays on the visual language of rail departure boards to reframe fare evasion as not just a financial risk, but an emotional one too.
With annual losses from fare dodging estimated at £350–400 million, the campaign, titled “Dodge the fare, pay the price,” is aimed at nudging habitual and occasional evaders toward accountability.
Each emotional “destination” targets a distinct audience type, based on research from Transport Focus. Regret is for ambivalent evaders, Shame for those who think they won’t get caught, and Disgrace for the more defiant rule-breakers.
The creative flips a familiar sight, a departure board, replacing station names with a journey through emotions and consequences, including fines up to £1,000.
“Fare dodging can cost more than just money,” says SWR’s Customer and Commercial Director, Peter Williams. “It can cost your peace of mind.”
“We wanted the consequences to feel uncomfortably close to home,” adds St Luke’s Joint CCO Richard Denney.
Rolling out across London and the South West, the work makes fare evasion feel like a journey nobody wants to take.
