Rail union reports 'escalation' in train violence

The RMT union says there has been an increase in attacks on staff on Southern and Gatwick Express services

A rail workers' union has said there has been a "serious escalation of violence and anti-social behaviour" on routes in London and the South East.

The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) is calling for action by Operator Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which runs the Gatwick Express and Southern franchises, linking London with stations in Sussex and Surrey.

The union said its members were facing "daily incidents" of of assault, threats, spitting, verbal abuse and intimidation, and is considering industrial action.

GTR said it has invested £2.5m in a plan to deal with anti-social behaviour.

RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said: "The level of violence on Southern and Gatwick Express services and stations has reached a crisis point and is totally unacceptable.

"Our members are being assaulted, threatened and abused at work and the company is not doing enough to stop it.

"GTR must take urgent action now to protect staff and passengers or we will have to consider all our options, including industrial action."

The union wants additional staff deployed, including extra and more visible security, and a company-wide plan introduced.

Govia Thameslink says it has invested £2.5m in tackling anti-social behaviour on its trains

GTR's safety, health and security director Sam Facey said: "Last year we launched a £2.5m anti-social behaviour improvement plan, created following feedback from stakeholders, including the police and some of our staff and trade unions representatives."

He said the rail company was "fully committed to tackling this issue by working closely with the unions and building on what we've done so far".

More than 1,500 body worn cameras had been made available, said Mr Facey, adding that studies showed the cameras "reduce assaults by 47%" as well as gathering "vital evidence to prosecute".

He continued: "We have also doubled the number of high-visibility travel safe officers who are deployed using data-led insight to work with British Transport Police and our teams of rail enforcement officers.

"We have also invested heavily in education projects for schools and colleges.

"But this is bigger than the railway, it is a wider, regional problem of youth violence affecting communities, particularly those on the south coast, which is why the close collaboration of the police, councils and other agencies continues to be so important in tackling this kind of behaviour."

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