By Bill Heaney
Scotland’s nationalised rail network, according to figures obtained by the Scottish Conservatives.
Over 1,700 anti-social incidents were recorded by ScotRail on trains or at stations from the start of 2025 until 21 July – compared to 2,061 for the whole of 2024.
The incidents, highlighted in a Freedom of Information response, include verbal, sexual and physical abuse of both staff and members of the public, weapons being carried and/or used and acts of vandalism.
British Transport Police figures revealed earlier this year that the number of reported sex crimes on the rail network rose by two thirds between 2018-19 and 2023-24.
Shadow transport secretary Sue Webber said the sharp increase in anti-social behaviour this year is “deeply alarming” and further proof that the SNP’s mismanagement of ScotRail is putting passengers at risk.
She added that this will only put people off travelling by train, as she called on SNP ministers to do more to tackle anti-social behaviour on trains and at stations across the country.
Scottish Conservative shadow transport secretary Sue Webber MSP, pictured right, said: “The soaring number of anti-social behaviour cases on the ScotRail network this year is deeply alarming, and further proof of how the SNP’s mismanagement is failing passengers.
“Not only do passengers have to deal with unreliable services which are often delayed or cancelled, they are increasingly at risk of being caught up in unpleasant or dangerous situations.
“Some of these incidents are extremely serious. The safety of staff and passengers is being put at risk while SNP ministers appear blind to the reality of what is occurring on trains and at stations.
“Their continued soft-touch justice approach is fuelling anti-social behaviour and worse, because offenders know they are likely to escape punishment.
“If SNP ministers are serious about getting people out of their cars and onto public transport then they must urgently ensure the rail network is reliable and safe.”
In the first half of 2025, there have been 1,760 reported incidents of anti-social behaviour on ScotRail services or at ScotRail facilities. Data obtained via a Freedom of Information request by the Scottish Conservatives show these incidents, recorded as of 21 July 2025, included racial abuse, weapons offences, sexist or homophobic abuse, physical and sexual abuse, throwing objects, threats, spitting, and vandalism. In comparison, 2,061 incidents were recorded across ScotRail services in the whole of 2024. (Freedom of Information requests, Scottish Conservative Research Department, 7 August 2025, available on request).
Meanwhile, BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty has recalled the horrifying ordeal she suffered while using public transport, which led to the journalist punching a teenager in the face.
The journalist spoke about an incident during her adolescent years in which she was groped while disembarking a train.
“I’m not saying that was right, but it was an instant reaction. And then, straight away after, was the fear that I was a woman on my own only a few years older than them and what would happen next.
“I was fortunate enough that it shocked them and I was getting off the train and I was comforted by that. If I had been staying on the train I don’t know – I don’t think I would have wanted to be confronted by them.”
Two examples of what is going on are anti-social behaviour which takes place regularly on the Dumbarton-Balloch line and the Glasgow-Oban line after football matches with travelling fans boozed up on a Saturday.
Violent crimes on the Scottish rail network have increased. The British Transport Police figures, revealed by showed the number of reported sex crimes went up by two thirds in the five years between 2018/19 and 2023/24. The figures, submitted to the Scottish Railways Policing Committee’s most recent meeting in November, also showed cases of violence increased by 28 per cent over the period, by 78 to 356. (The Scotsman, 24 February 2025, link).
Anti-social behaviour at railway stations rose almost 1,000 in the last year. British Transport Police figures, obtained through freedom of information requests, revealed there were 971 recorded anti-social behaviour incidents at stations across Scotland. Almost a third of all anti-social behaviour incidents occurred at Glasgow Queen Street, Glasgow Central, Edinburgh Waverley and Haymarket. (The Herald, 29 January 2025, link).
RMT and Aslef have previously spoken out against rising anti-social behaviour on trains. Kevin Lindsay of Aslef said: “Staff assaults and assaults on passengers come against a context of cuts to British Transport Police budgets over recent years, more lone working on trains and unstaffed stations.” (Daily Record, 19 March 2024, link).