No fines for train operators missing harassment targets, government says

Train operators are being asked to prove they can prevent sexual harassment on Britain’s railways, but the government will not attach financial or legal penalties to missed targets. That leaves the new scorecard system dependent on public scrutiny, police action and whether women feel safer on crowded trains and tubes.

The policy lands amid a wider crackdown on sex-based harassment in public places. The Protection from Sex-based Harassment in Public Act 2023 received Royal Assent on 18 September 2023, and Home Office statutory guidance for police was updated on 2 April 2026. The offence covers intentional harassment, alarm or distress directed at someone because of their sex in public places, including public transport, and carries a maximum sentence of up to two years in prison.

Enforcement has already begun to bite. British Transport Police said on 10 April 2026 that it had secured its first charge under the new legislation. The force and other policing bodies have spent years pushing more visible reporting and prevention measures, alongside rail industry campaigns such as Transport for London’s anti-harassment efforts and the Railway Guardian reporting app.

The need for stronger action is underscored by the scale of abuse on the network. British Transport Police Authority figures reported in August 2024 said sexual harassment reports on Britain’s railways had doubled to 1,908. Over the same period, sexual offences rose 10%, while violence against women and girls incidents climbed from 7,561 in 2021 to 11,357 in 2023.

The data also points to a stubborn reporting gap. A British Transport Police survey found more than a third of women had been victims of sexual harassment or sexual offences while commuting by train or tube, yet only one in five witnesses reported incidents to police. That gap matters for any system built around performance targets, because the absence of reports can be mistaken for the absence of harm.

Rail Delivery Group research in April 2025 suggested passengers expect the industry to do more. In a survey of more than 2,000 passengers, 85% said the rail industry had an important role in tackling violence against women and girls, while 87% said more needed to be done in society. The group also said nearly 19,000 body-worn cameras were already in use by staff.

The industry has said it wants mandatory training for all rail staff, standardised reporting across train companies, passenger safety groups and board-level oversight of harassment incidents as part of a wider strategy with British Transport Police and the Department for Transport. Without fines or legal penalties, the test now is whether those measures change conduct on the platforms, in the carriages and in the daily commute.