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Jul
Train operator Northern, which operates the Harrogate line, has announced it will crack down on the abuse its staff face.
Northern said it will not tolerate verbal and physical abuse and will take action against anyone who threatens their employees’ safety.
The company has had some success in reducing serious abuse.
In December, Northern revealed the number of dangerous attacks on its trains was down almost 90% in the previous 12 months, with the number of recorded incidents falling from 69 to 8.
The train operator added a further 600 new CCTV cameras to the more than 1,000 that monitor its station estate.
It came after the operator installed 7,000 HD CCTV cameras on board its fleet of trains and invested £1.7m in the roll-out of more than 1,000 extra body-worn camera kits, taking the total number now in operation to 1,300.
British Transport Police has access to all the footage and can use it in criminal prosecutions.
Northern also uses undercover and plain-clothed police officers and safety officers.
A Northern spokesperson said:
We welcome millions of customers on board our trains every year and the overwhelming majority are polite, considerate and respectful of others.
Unfortunately, given the numbers involved, our conductors do also encounter people who are somewhat less respectful of them and the safety critical role they have on-board – and that is unacceptable.
Northern conductor
Train conductors have shared their experiences in the hope it will make people think about their behaviour towards them and their colleagues.
Andrew Wade, 59, is a conductor based in Skipton who has worked for Northern for 12 years.
He said:
People who refuse to pay often become verbally abusive when they see you approach in a uniform. They will do anything to try and get out of paying.
Whenever someone is letting off steam, I try and defuse the situation by sitting down with them and talking to them as an equal. But there are some situations where that isn’t possible. I have never been physically assaulted, but there have been three occasions when I have lost sleep after being threatened. It does take its toll.
I always try to process what happened and think about whether I could have handled it differently and if I could prevent it from happening again in the future. But it’s reassuring to know that the trains are covered by CCTV and the body-worn cameras, which are very good and available for everyone to wear. I do think they act as a deterrent to anyone who is being anti-social.
Anthony Mooney, 36, is a conductor based in Liverpool who has worked for Northern for two years.
He said:
I had an incident recently where I got a tirade of homophobic abuse from someone and they threatened to kill me. All because I asked him for a ticket.
You’ve got to have a thick skin in this job because you can get called every name under the sun. It can escalate from nothing when you least expect it. It’s very difficult not to take it home. It plays on your mind and it’s hard to continue with your day
No one should have to deal with that, no matter what you have to do. If I took everything personally, I wouldn't be able to continue working as a conductor.
People who witness physical or verbal attacks are encouraged to report them to British Transport Police by texting 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40.
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