Media centre

Thursday 13 Aug 2026

Train companies and police ramp up patrols and measures to reduce crime and protect people on train journeys as incidents rise by up to 39% in summer months

Region & Route:

Southern

• 287 incidents recorded in November and December 2025 including 135 trespass incidents and 24 anti-social behaviour incidents 

• 398 incidents reported over July and August 2025 including 203 trespass incidents and 33 anti-social behaviour incidents 

• BTP officers apprehend and arrest cable thief following a cable theft back in June
• Trespass victim: “I’m lucky to be alive. I still have the scars....and it so easily could have been much worse.” 

Rail companies and the British Transport Police have stepped up visible patrols and measures to protect the travelling public during a ‘week of action’ in August as emerges that incidents of trespassing and anti-social behaviour the railway have risen by up to 39% in just six months. 

Anti-social behaviour incidents on the railway in Sussex and south London increased by 29% in July and August 2025, with the total number of incidents increasing by 39% compared with November and December. 

These included 398 incidents over July and August 2025 with 203 separate trespassing incidents and 33 anti-social behaviour incidents. 

On the first day of action, Monday 10 August, British Transport Police officers apprehended a cable thief following a cable theft back in June. With the help of Network Rail staff and station CCTV, officers were able to identify him and make an arrest after he was seen walking through the station.

To reduce incidents that disrupt the railway, and to keep people safe, a £2.5 million investment in Travel Safe Officers by GTR as part of its Anti-Social Behaviour Improvement Plan will help deter crime, support railway staff and reassure passengers, with their visible presence complementing the work of frontline teams and the British Transport Police. 

A range of other measures being ramped up this week to keep people safe across the railway in Sussex and south London includes: 

• Patrolling the railway at key hotspots on the network known for anti-social behaviour and crime 

• Building awareness of how people can report trespass and concern for welfare incidents 

• Having conversations with members of the public about action that they could take if they saw a trespasser or vulnerable person  

• Using drones to identify people misusing and trespassing on the railway

Paul Langley, Network Rail’s Head of Security, Crime and Resilience, said: “Trespass and concern for welfare incidents are among the biggest causes of delays across our route and our priority is always to keep people safe while minimising disruption to customers. 

“That’s why alongside our industry partners, we will be focusing our activity at certain stations each day this week, making targeted interventions to help deter incidents. These interventions will aim to improve the safety of everyone who travels on our railway and make but making the railway more reliable for our customers.” 

Mike Boyce, GTR's head of security and policing, said: "This week of action exemplifies the work we do every day in close partnership with our colleagues at the BTP, Network Rail and other organisations up and down our huge network.

"All of our passengers and staff should be safe and, importantly, feel safe when they travel and use our stations. We've undertaken a lot of work to bolster our existing security presence including doubling the headcount of our Travel Safe Officers, improved information sharing with partners like the Brighton Crime Reduction Partnership, and updated our incident reporting app - Zero Harm - to gather better intelligence on where our resources are most needed.

"If you see our people out onboard your trains or at your local station this week, say hello and find out about what they're doing to help keep you safe."

The week of action is part of a co-ordinated effort and follows the release in July of a new campaign from the rail industry that reminds the public of the fatal risks of trespassing on the railway as it launches a new phase of its ‘No Second Chances’ safety campaign.  

Research shows that people severely underestimate the dangers of trespassing on the railway. This includes entering the railway to retrieve dropped items, crossing the tracks to save time on a journey, or even standing too close to the line.    

Across Britain, there were more than 19,000 recorded trespass incidents on the railway in 2024/25, resulting in 19 accidental fatalities and 85 people being seriously injured.  

Someone who experienced the danger first hand is Dinusha Ilanperuma from Surrey. Ten years ago, aged just 15, Dinusha stepped onto the tracks to retrieve one of her shoes when coming home from a party with friends. As she climbed back onto the platform, she slipped, making contact with the electrified rail.   

Dinusha was electrocuted and suffered catastrophic injuries as a result. She was rushed to hospital and underwent skin grafts for the third degree burns on her left arm, back and foot. Dinusha spent two weeks in hospital and had to learn to use her arm again due to suffering extensive nerve damage.  

A decade on, Dinusha wants to help raise awareness of the dangers of trespassing on the railway to help other people to stay safe.   

Dinusha Ilanperuma said: “I’m lucky to be alive. I still have the scars from that night, and it so easily could have been much worse. 

“My friends had to watch as I was electrocuted. When I woke up in the hospital, people told me they could smell the burnt flesh on my skin. It was horrible hearing that. I don’t want anyone to ever have to experience what I went through. 

“I want people to stop and think. To realise the dangers of trespassing on the railway. To ask themselves: is that really worth risking my life over?” 

As part of the campaign Network Rail is issuing a toolkit across the rail industry to help raise public awareness of the dangers of trespassing.   

The campaign also forms part of a wider rail industry commitment to reducing unsafe behaviour around the railway. It comes ahead of the introduction of statutory rail safety education in schools in England from September 2026.   

Resources are available for younger people on Network Rail’s ‘Switched On’ website, including educational videos, classroom posters, and learning posters.