The Rail Delivery Group has announced that Railway Behaviour Notices will begin to be rolled out across the UK rail network later this summer.
Once in effect, the Railway Behaviour Notices will seek to ban repeat offenders from stations in an effort to improve safety for both passengers and staff.
According to the Rail Delivery Group; more than eight in ten passengers feel that people who abuse staff or passengers should face railway bans.
The notices can be issued either by train operators or British Transport Police, and are given to individuals who repeatedly put others at risk, removing their permission to enter a specific station or stations for up to twelve months and acting as a ‘first line of defence’ to stop harmful behaviour before it escalates.
Early trials of the notices have thus far shown a reduction in repeat offending, with frontline rail staff reporting safer working conditions following their implementation.
Nationally representative polls of over 2,000 frequent rail users carried out by the Rail Delivery Group show that 86% support the rollout of Railway Behaviour Notices, with almost 80% of rail users reporting that ‘stronger action’ against abusive behaviour would make them more confident when travelling.
Interviewees also ranked as one of the top three most effective safety measures, following increased visibility of British Transport Police and stronger penalties for abusive or aggressive behaviour.
Jacqueline Starr, Executive Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Rail Delivery Group, said:Railway Behaviour Notices help create immediately safer conditions for customers and frontline colleagues by banning individuals from the network who have shown they cannot use the railway responsibly.
In this shared public space, the vast majority of passengers do behave responsibly, and this is about protecting their right, and the right of staff, to travel and work in safety.
Crucially, they help stop harmful behaviour early, preventing situations from escalating to the point of formal criminal proceedings.
This is a major moment for the railway. Early trials have already shown a significant reduction in repeat incidents, giving passengers and rail staff a safer environment and better working conditions for frontline staff. Because whether you work for or travel via rail, there is no place for crime or abuse on our network.
