UK train stations are facing alarming crime rates, with 25 offences reported daily, prompting calls for urgent safety measures.
Manchester: It’s pretty wild out there at the train stations. Around 25 crimes happen every single day at the busiest spots. People are really upset about the “unacceptable levels of violence.”
There’s a big push for more staff on the trains and urgent action to tackle this mess. The Transport Police shared some stats showing the worst-hit stations had nearly 9,400 crimes last year. That’s about 25 a day! And it’s not just petty stuff; there were serious offences like sex attacks and robberies.
Manchester Piccadilly is the worst of the bunch, with drug offences hitting the roof. They logged over 500 serious crimes, including 14 sex attacks and 19 weapon incidents. Birmingham New Street isn’t far behind, with 200 violent crimes reported.
Then there’s London Bridge, which had 463 serious crimes, including a bunch of assaults and drug incidents. The RMT union is calling these numbers shocking, saying we need more staff to keep everyone safe.
Even the Rail Safety and Standards Board chimed in, saying over 94% of railway staff have faced violence at work. It’s a real problem. Just recently, a guy named Jonathan Daniel stabbed a staff member at London Charing Cross after causing chaos. He got over three years in jail for that.
British Transport Police insists that the chances of becoming a victim on the railway are low, with about 28.7 crimes per million journeys. Network Rail also claims their stations are safe, thanks to security teams and loads of CCTV cameras.
