A NEW campaign has been launched aimed at keeping customers on the right tracks when it comes to behaviour.
South Western Railway says its staff have been subject to unnecessarily aggressive behaviour from some passengers, with verbal and physical abuse directed at those on the platforms, operating trains, or guards.
And while some might see verbal abuse as ‘low-level’ incidents compared to assaults, the train operator says there can be consequences, including mental health and wellbeing, for its staff, especially if it refers to a colleague’s appearance or a characteristic such as their age or gender.
The campaign is directed primarily at customers who wouldn’t normally be aggressive, but who might lose their temper during disruption, or because of other issues on their journey, and take this out on colleagues.
Hard-hitting printed and digital posters are going up across the SWR network, depicting four examples of thoughtless abuse staying with colleagues beyond their shift.
The posters show examples of abusive language on everyday household items: a doormat, shower gel, a kettle and a tin of soup, indicating how the abuse continues to play on the minds of colleagues, even while at home.
The campaign is based on consultations with such colleagues, who shared their experiences of abuse, and encouraged customers to be kind. ‘Be Kind’ badges are being given out to colleagues to help spread the message.
Grant Robey, Senior Network Crime and Security Manager for South Western Railway, commented: “We hope this campaign will bring the human impact of thoughtless abuse to the front of our customers’ minds and remind them to be kind to our colleagues, even when things go wrong on their journeys.
“We know that most customers wouldn’t purposefully abuse our colleagues; a lot of this behaviour arises when customers lose their temper and make heat-of-the-moment comments.
“Our colleagues come to work to keep everyone safe and they should not expect to face this behaviour. People wouldn’t behave like this in their own workplace, so it isn’t acceptable in ours.”
To help deter abuse and assist with evidence gathering, SWR has been rolling out body-worn video cameras to frontline colleagues since 2021. All SWR guards now have access to them, with gateline colleagues due to have access in the coming weeks.
A recently published study by the University of Cambridge, commissioned by the Rail Delivery Group and British Transport Police (BTP), suggested that body-worn video cameras can reduce the likelihood of assault against the wearer by 47%.
Last autumn, Network Rail published new statistics showing that 9/10 of its workers in the biggest stations in its Southern Region, which includes the SWR network, have suffered abuse, including verbal abuse and physical assaults.
