Great Train Yobbery: 4,000 violent assaults reported on British trains in last year 

Embargoed until 22.30 Thursday 28 December 2023

• Almost 4,000 violent assaults were committed on the British rail network over the last 12 months 

• 1,419 sexual assaults and 699 robberies were also reported across the same period 

• Lib Dems warn "train carriages are being turned into crime scenes" as criminals allowed to act with impunity 

Almost 4,000 violent assaults have been committed on British trains in the past year, a 12% rise on the previous year, figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats have revealed.

In total a staggering 10,000 violent assaults have been recorded on trains over the past three years.

The figures were obtained through a Freedom of Information Request to the British Transport Police by LiberalDemocrat MP Sarah Olney. 

They show that 3,991 incidents of violence against the person were reported on trains in the year to November 2023, up from 3,559 in the previous twelve months.

The figures also show that 699 robberies occurred on the trains in the year to November, up 18% on the previous year. The number of sexual offences rose by 2.3% to 1,419.

The Liberal Democrats have accused Conservative Government of turning train carriages into crime scenes. The party is calling for a return to local community policing across the country, in an effort to reduce crime. 

Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Olney said:

“People deserve to feel safe when on public transport, yet these alarming figures tell a different story. 

“Far too often our train carriages are being turned into crime scenes as violent criminals are allowed to terrorise other passengers with impunity.

"This Conservative Government is all bark and no bite. Rather than yet more rhetoric, we need a serious strategy to tackle this rise in crime on our railways. 

"The public deserves better - which is why the Liberal Democrats are calling for a return to local community policing which will help keep us safe." 

ENDS

Notes to Editors

FOI to the British Transport Police can be seen here.