Trade union RMT today (Wednesday 29 November) has responded to a report on crime on London Underground by calling for an end to spending cuts.

A Transport for London report has revealed that crime on the Underground has risen by 56 per cent, and that the main driver of this has been a big increase in thefts and robberies, which have more than doubled.

The data showed that:

• 10,836 offences were reported between April and September 2023, compared with 6,294 over the same period .in 2022.
• Thefts of personal property, including pickpocketing, have risen by 83 per cent to 5,378 offences.
• Robberies (thefts by the use of force or threat) rose by 107 per cent from 164 to 340 offences.
• Top stations with theft committed at them were Kings Cross St. Pancras, Leicester Square and Oxford Circus.
• While crime has increased on all lines, the rate at which it has risen differs per line. The Northern Line has seen the biggest rise, with an extra 932 offences, 116% more than last year. The Jubilee Line also saw a large rise of 71%, 703 crimes more than in the same period last year.

The union attributes the increase on a lack of investment in the Underground and reductions in staffing levels, arguing that the presence of staff helps to deter crime.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “These soaring crime rates come as no surprise to tube workers that are on the frontline every day in this increasingly hostile environment.

“RMT has been warning for many years that instead of an agenda of austerity and constant cutbacks we need decent staffing levels and investment to ensure a safe and secure transport network for London.”