Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps she has taken to prevent sexual (a) harassment and (b) abuse on the transport network.

The Department is working across government and with partners, including the transport industry, local authorities and the British Transport Police (BTP), who are responsible for policing the railway in England, Scotland and Wales, to ensure that everyone feels and is safe when travelling.

Last month, the Department and Greater Manchester Combined Authority jointly hosted a Safer Streets, Safer Transport Summit which brought together representatives from across the transport industry, Government, local authorities, the third sector and policing to commit to taking action against anti-social behaviour (ASB) and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).

As part of the Government’s aims to reduce VAWG by half over the next decade, the Department has an ambitious, evidence-based programme of work to help tackle VAWG on transport. This includes measures in the Bus Services Act 2025 such as training on how to recognise and respond to incidents of criminal and ASB. The Act also enables all Local Transport Authorities to introduce byelaws to tackle ASB on vehicles, as well as within and at bus-related infrastructure (for example bus stations).

On the rail network, DfT and the BTP are committed to working closely with Train Operating Companies to ensure our railways are safe, reliable, and efficient for all passengers, staff, and communities. This includes tackling ASB that might annoy, frighten, intimidate, or otherwise upset other people.

The Department supports BTP’s zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment and sexual offences. This includes using a range of policing techniques to pursue offenders on the rail network to ensure it remains a safe environment and encourage reporting of incidents via BTP’s 61016 text number or 999 in an emergency.