Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of trends in the level of rail freight crime; and what steps her department is taking to reduce those levels.

The British Transport Police (BTP) are responsible for policing the rail network in England, Scotland and Wales.

The BTP work proactively with Freight Operating Companies (FOCs) to identify trends, advise on crime prevention and work to identify and arrest any offenders when crime is reported. BTP hold a 4-weekly Freight Working Group which is open to all freight operators.

For 2025/26 year to date, BTP recorded 48 crimes across all FOCs, the majority of which relate to graffiti.