James Gathercole, 36, of Beckenham Road, Beckenham prowled trains and stations for almost a year and was caught when a teenage girl victim reported him to an off-duty police officer.
British Transport Police (BTP) had already launched a dedicated investigation to snare the sex offender, who once struck half a dozen times on one day.
Gathercole was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for the next ten years.
He was sentenced at Inner London Crown court for ten counts of indecent exposure between December, 2020 and November, last year.
Gathercole was detained on November 29, last year when a teenage girl in distress approached an off duty Metropolitan Police officer.
She reported that Gathercole had exposed his genitals and touched himself inappropriately in front of her on a train at New Cross station.
BTP officers quickly arrived at the scene to arrest him and he was remanded in custody.
The court heard how on August 7, last year Gathercole committed six separate offences throughout the afternoon and evening, exposing himself to young women and teenage girls on services between New Cross Gate, Lewisham, and Sydenham stations.
BTP Detective Constable Sonja Lucas said: “It’s clear from Gathercole’s persistent and sickening actions that he is a danger to women and girls, and I’m pleased to see that after a rigorous investigation this serial offender is no longer free to travel on the railway network.
“These incidents will have had a serious impact on the victims’ lives, and no one should have to experience such vile behaviour as they travel.
“We are absolutely committed to stamping out this behaviour, and we will continue to target patrols to crime hotspots to catch and deter sexual offenders.
“I would also urge anyone who witnesses or experiences a sexual offence or sexual harassment on the railway to report it to us by texting 61016. We will always take you seriously.”
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