Railway anti-social behaviour campaign stepped up

Ross Evans has spoken to 4,000 children and young people about rail safety in the first three months in his new role

Rail enforcement and British Transport Police officers will be at Brighton station in East Sussex on Friday, as part of an ongoing drive to reduce anti-social behaviour on trains.

In June Govia Thameslink, which runs services between Surrey, Sussex, Kent and London, announced it would invest £2.5m in dealing with the issue.

It also appointed its first school engagement manager in September.

Ross Evans, who lives in Worthing, West Sussex, had previously been a rail enforcement officer on Southern and Thameslink trains since 2020.

Mr Evans told BBC Radio Sussex: "We've seen a 23% increase in verbal assaults to members of staff, and a 10% increase in physical ones, according to British Transport Police."

He explained: "My role is now to educate and engage young people in how to engage safely on the railway.

"We've been engaging with a lot of schools and football academies.

"It's teaching people to be more aware of the railway and why we have all these safety measures in place."

As part of Antisocial Behaviour Awareness Week, GTR’s rail enforcement officers have been working with the British Transport Police to talk to customers about antisocial behaviour and how to report incidents through the appropriate channels.

A GTR spokesperson said: "The activity forms part of the train operator’s new £2.5 million Antisocial Behaviour Improvement Plan, which aims to reduce abuse and disorder."

Mr Evans said: "In the last three months I've been able to engage with about 4,000 kids in Sussex.

"We're just trying to get the message out there."

Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.