About 25 crimes are committed each day at our busiest rail stations, with campaigners hitting out at “unacceptable levels of violence”.
There were demands for urgent action to stem the tide of yobbery, and calls for more staff on the rail network. Transport Police data shows the 10 worst-hit had 9,376 crimes in the last financial year – about 25 a day. They included 3,831 serious offences such as sex attacks and robberies. Plus there were 5,545 other crimes such as criminal damage, vandalism, theft from passengers and shoplifting.
Manchester Piccadilly was worst hit, recording twice as many drug offences as any other. More than 500 serious crimes were logged, including 14 sex attacks, 13 robberies, 19 weapon attacks and 127 serious public order incidents. Birmingham New Street was second, with 200 violent crimes, 25 sex attacks and 134 public order offences.
Manchester’s Piccadilly Station recorded twice as many drug offences as any other
(
Image:
William Lailey / SWNS)
London Bridge tallied 463 serious crimes included 212 assaults and punch-ups, 70 drug incidents, 24 robberies and 25 sex attacks. The RMT union said: “These statistics are utterly shocking and show the unacceptable levels of violence that passengers and our members face. We believe more staffing is essential to a safer railway.”
The Rail Safety and Standards Board said: “Our statistics show more than 94% of frontline railway staff have experienced violence at work. We need a wholesale change in public behaviour.” In one recent attack Jonathan Daniel, 21, abused passengers then knifed a staffer in the back at London Charing Cross. He was jailed for over three years.
London Bridge was the third worst-hit, logging 463 serious crimes
(
Image:
Alamy Live News.)
British Transport Police said: “The chances of becoming a victim of crime on the railway network is extremely low. Our data shows 28.7 crimes per million passenger journeys between April and December 2023.”
Network Rail added: “Our stations are very safe places because of our own 24/7 security teams, police patrolling, and many hundreds of CCTV cameras.”