Campaign to tackle abuse of staff on Scotland's trains

The warning comes as ScotRail, the Scottish Government, the British Transport Police, and trade unions joined forces to tackle abuse experienced by transport staff as part of a £1.6million crackdown. 

A  campaign was launched last week by Transport Minister Fiona Hyslop MSP, further committing to protecting and supporting staff.

The campaign was launched to coincide with the Christmas party season, when there is a rise in abuse on the rail network. 

Ms Hyslop said: “We want everyone to have a great time this festive season. However, abuse of frontline public transport staff – be it verbal or physical – is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated. That is why I have no hesitation in supporting this important message, alongside rail unions, BTP and transport providers.  

“Everyone working or using public transport has an absolute right to go about their business without fear of abuse. Passengers can support these efforts by refraining from this type of unnecessary behaviour and by actively reporting incidents or suspicious behaviour where they see this happening.” 

ScotRail is investing £1.6 million to triple the number of body-worn cameras to tackle anti-social behaviour on Scotland’s Railway, hire more people to double staff on late-night trains in known problem areas, and introduced a team of revenue protection officers. 

The British Transport Police (BTP), the force responsible for policing the train network, has committed to several pledges which aim to enhance the safety of staff and support any victims of abuse.  

A dedicated investigator will follow up any report of abuse and will work closely with ScotRail to support railway staff through any incident. Any repeat offenders, or those deemed to pose the greatest threat to staff, will be targeted with prohibitive court orders. 

Supported by a publicity campaign urging customers to consider the longer-term consequences of violence or abuse, the pledge promises to fully support staff by setting out the increased measures being used. 

Phil Campbell, ScotRail Customer Operations Director, said:  “All rail staff have the right to go about their day in peace without fear of harassment or abuse. ScotRail works very closely with British Transport Police, government, and the trade unions to ensure that Scotland’s Railway is a safe environment in which to work."

He added: "We will work together to ensure our staff feel more protected and supported when faced with unacceptable behaviour from a small minority of passengers."

Chris Shields, British Transport Police Chief Inspector, commented:  “There’s absolutely no place for abuse, verbal or physical, directed towards staff on Scotland’s rail network and tackling this type of unacceptable behaviour is a key priority for BTP throughout this festive period and beyond.  

“Day and night, we have targeted patrols of high-visibility officers on trains and at stations, who are there to identify and deter offenders and reassure staff as they travel on the network.”