Northern appeals to Christmas revellers to treat train crew and station staff with respect

So far this year, there have been 182 public order offences committed against Northern staff.

Since 2021, the total figure stands at 745 offences, of which 73 led to a conviction in court.

It was in 2021 that Northern introduced the use of body-worn cameras for its staff.

The cameras, which can be worn by train crew and station staff, do not record all the time, but instead are used to capture specific incidents as evidence for British Transport Police.

The high quality footage is suitable for use in criminal cases and has proved useful in securing convictions in court.

The introduction of body-worn cameras was part of Northern’s work to modernise its network and deliver safer journeys for its customers.

The train operator says this latest figure (182 offences) represents a 15% year-on-year reduction in the number of crimes committed against its staff (2024 versus 2023, when the number of offences was 215), but that each and every case is unacceptable.

Matt Rice, chief operating officer for Northern, said: “Whilst a reduction in the number of incidents is welcome – the fact that there have been 182 offences committed against my colleagues is totally unacceptable.

“Our train crew and station staff are there to help our customers get where they want to be. They deserve to be treated with respect and the overwhelming majority of our customers do just that.

“However, if anyone does witness any unacceptable behaviour directed towards railway employees, I would urge them to contact British Transport Police.”

In July, Northern issued a similar appeal as conductors spoke about the abuse they receive.

Anyone who witnesses a crime on the railway should contact British Transport Police immediately by texting 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40.

Rail users should also download the British Transport Police ‘Railway Guardian’ app, an all-in-one safety app that allows users to report crimes or concerns on the rail network, share journeys with trusted contacts and get access to news, guides and support.

The app is available to download from Google Play and the Apple App Store.

Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations across the north of England, including Lancaster and Morecambe.