As rail safety week continues, Govia Thameslink Railway, the operating body of Southern, Thameslink, Gatwick Express and Great Northern services, has announced a £2.5 million pound investment plan to tackle antisocial behaviour across its network.

The new Antisocial Behaviour Improvement Plan will tackle assaults on staff which have increased by 33% in the last year, 10% of which included physical abuse towards GTR staff members.

GTR has compiled the improvement plan thanks to feedback from individuals within its company along with collaborating with stakeholders, which includes trade unions, police forces and schools.

As part of the £2.5 million investment, GTR will be investing in the following:

• New Travel Safe Officers will be recruited, trained and deployed across the network, increasing the existing numbers by double.
• More staff to be hired in the safety division
• 1,500 new Body Worn Video (BMV) cameras will be deployed to frontline staff

• Improving the training and car given to staff after they have been a victim of anti-social behaviour
• Producing an education programme for schools, outlining the offences and subsequent consequences
• Insuring offenders are removed from the railway as quickly as possible by working with local police and prosecution teams

Previous attempts to tackle the issue have seen Govia Thameslink Railway already increase the number Travel save officers.

By using data, officers and the British Transport Police can be deployed on certain routes, at stations and on trains at particular times to catch and detain constant offenders.

This tactic has already seen a reduction in staff assault by 13%. GTR has also produced guides on security and wellbeing for its 7,000 staff members.

A trail deployment by GTR in the West Coastway area last autumn showed that the presence of Travel Safe Officers working with BTP and other polices forces showed a reduction of antisocial incidents of up to 60% in that area of the country.

This success has led GTR to try the same tactic on other parts of its system.

Verbal abuse towards GTR staff accounts for 4 in 5 cases, where staff have been subjected to threating behaviour and foul-language.

The ‘Workplace Violence Coordination Unit’ of the British Transport Police, supports GTR colleagues who have experienced assault through collaboration.

In order to reduce the number of cases, GTR hopes that 1,500 BWV cameras worn on staff personal will help to cut this high number, as Body Worn Cameras can also act as another means of evidence in cases when criminals are being convicted.

Showing its commitment in addressing the Antisocial behaviour problem, three new roles are being created at GTR, which include a Security Improvement Manager, a BWV Project Manager and a Safety and Security School Engagement Manager. These new roles are due to start in the coming weeks.

“The rise in antisocial behaviour is being felt across industries and communities nationwide. Whilst we cannot solve the problem on our own, we hope that with increased tools and resources, as well as closer working with other industry partners, we can begin to turn the dial on this kind of behaviour.

“Everyone travelling with us deserves to get home safely, and our colleagues deserve to be treated with respect; physical or verbal abuse of any kind will not be tolerated. Our Antisocial Behaviour Improvement Plan not only demonstrates that we are serious about tackling this issue, but we are also seeing positive results since its launch.”

Samantha Facey, Health, Safety and Security Director at GTR