The problem

Route crime - people putting obstructions in front of trains, trespassing and vandalising the railway infrastructure - costs over £150 million a year, causes 486 days worth of delays and puts lives in danger. Trespass may not sound like a serious offence but, in the unforgiving railway environment, it can be a major safety hazard.

 

Trespass often leads to other offences - it is difficult to commit vandalism or to obstruct trains without trespassing. Holes made in fences allow children to wander onto the railway, sometimes with fatal consequences. Similarly, adults taking short cuts across tracks or walking dogs on embankments, give a bad example to impressionable youngsters.

 

Putting obstructions in front of trains, hanging concrete blocks from bridges and stone throwing are sadly daily occurrences. They can lead to serious injury and can even derail trains. Vandalising vital signalling and communications equipment, obstructing trains and stone throwing put lives at risk. A  small stone dropped from a bridge meeting a train travelling at 100mph can kill. Route crime costs passengers too. If trespassers are seen on lines, it can mean trains are held, current switched off and rail and police staff diverted from other duties. The outcome; delayed trains and railway businesses and fare paying passengers losing money. Similarly, vandalism can cause massive disruption; is expensive to repair and may mean losing passenger facilities, e.g. station lavatories.

 

What we are doing to tackle it

BTP works in partnership with the railway businesses, rail staff and the public to combat route crime. We also run local campaigns particularly in the run up to and during school summer holidays, the media help us to get our message across to parents as well as children.

 

BTP is also part of a cross industry group which, under the Track Off brand, produces national educational materials including leaflets, posters, CD-ROMS etc. You can order information online.(*Source: Network rail)

 

The industry route crime strategy

 

• Enabling -  having the organisation, finance and planning in place to make it happen
• Education - of children, opinion formers and the industry itself
• Engineering - solutions looking at crime prevention, boundaries, surveillance and more 
• Enforcement - led by BTP, but enlisting support from the CPS, judiciary and local forces, and the use of Crimestoppers

 

This is delivered through:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

National figures (Force totals for England, Scotland and Wales) – 2006/07

There were 321 fatalities involving trespassers and suicides in 2006, of which three were under 16, plus 140 major injuries (six were under 16) – ORR Statistical Bulletin.