Sexual harassment against women and girls up 50% on British railways

Incidents of sexual harassment against women on British railways have more than doubled since 2021, according to new data.

Figures from the British Transport Police Authority’s 2024 annual report showed the number of crimes against women and girls rose from 7,561 in 2021 to 11,357 in 2023.

A separate British Transport Police (BTP) survey last year found more than a third of women have been victims of sexual harassment or sexual offences while commuting by train or tube.

Crime data shows that sexual offences occur during the evening rush hour, between 5pm and 7pm, when trains are packed and busy.

Unacceptable behaviour such as leering, catcalling, touching, pressing, upskirting or indecent exposure is being experienced by women more than ever.

The survey also found 51% of victims said that other passengers had tried to help them. However, only one in five people who have witnessed incidents of sexual harassment reported it to police.

BTP said the increase in such offences was because victims were more willing to report them because of “efforts across the network”.

The force has launched a Railway Guardian app, which allows people to report crimes anonymously, and the 61016 text service for the reporting of incidents.

She told the PA news agency: “In this day and age, no woman should have to plan her journeys by public transport based on where and when she will feel safe, and yet that is the daily experience for millions of women, whether they are commuting to and from work, or arranging an evening out with friends.

“Getting on a night bus or near empty train to go home should not feel like taking your life into your hands.

“Whether these figures reflect an increase in reporting, an increase in the volume of crime, or a combination of the two, one thing is clear, the level of violence, harassment and sexual offences that women and girls are facing when using the transport network is completely unacceptable, and cannot be allowed to go unchallenged.”

“That’s why under this Government, our publicly owned railways will be relentlessly held to account on safety and standards, and completely focused on the passenger.”

Head of crime and public protection at the BTP, T/Detective Chief Superintendent Sarah White, said tackling sexual offences “is a priority” for the force and that it takes “all reports seriously”.

She added: “There is absolutely no place for sexual harassment or sexual offences on the network, and we are working tirelessly to stamp out this unacceptable behaviour.

“We have patrols of uniformed and specially trained plain clothes officers across the railway day and night to catch offenders and reassure passengers as they travel, along with access to over 150,000 cameras across the railway network, which can provide us with clear, high-quality images.

“We know that these crimes commonly go under-reported, that is why we continue to relentlessly campaign to encourage victims and witnesses to report to us – and with this we expect the number of reports to continue to increase.

“Each report we receive provides us with valuable information which we can use to build a picture of an offender. Often it allows us to notice a pattern of offending behaviour so we can take action. If you experience or witness sexual harassment or a sexual offence on the railway, we urge you to report it to us by texting 61016 or via the Railway Guardian app. In an emergency always dial 999.”

The force said in its report that it continued to “prioritise tackling violence against women and girls”.

On trains, the rail industry and BTP are rolling out a new, ongoing anti-sexual harassment campaign.

It aims to educate passengers on how to recognise situations of sexual harassment, how to intervene safely, and how to report perpetrators to keep all passengers safe from harassment while commuting to work, home, or wherever their destination may be.

Jacqueline Starr, chief executive of Rail Delivery Group said: “Experiences of sexual harassment are sadly a reality for many women, but as an industry our message is clear, any form of sexual harassment on the rail network is completely unacceptable and we are working with the British Transport Police to confront this problem.

“The latest data shows that harassment doesn’t just happen out of sight. As bystanders we can help to confront this problem by reporting incidents or making safe interventions. Our campaign to tackle sexual harassment on trains was created with BTP to highlight the different forms of sexual harassment and help people to think about simple actions they can take without putting themselves in harm’s way.

“We are committed to making everyone feel safe on the railway and want people to feel confident to report anything that makes them uncomfortable by texting 61016 or using the Railway Guardian app.”

BTP Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Furnell last year asked people to watch out and stand up for each other while catching the train or tube.

“I’ll guarantee that most of us have told our daughters, mums, or friends to be careful on their way home when they’re travelling alone late at night – perhaps to share their journeys and stick to well-lit areas,” he said.

“But we know that sexual harassment and offending can take place at any hour of the day, and our figures show that it’s most likely to happen at the busiest hours when carriages are most full.

“If we see something that isn’t right, doing something about it, whether that’s intervening, if you feel safe to do so, or reporting it to police.”