Meet the Travel Safe Team: My evening with ScotRail staff keeping us out of trouble on the tracks

In April 2022, a member of ScotRail’s staff was hospitalised after a man assaulted them, two of their colleagues and a passenger.

The three staff members involved had challenged the man on his antisocial behaviour as part of their role in the Travel Safe Team – a unit designed to prevent exactly what had just happened to them.

In my experience, trains are a reliable and comfortable way of travelling , and mostly free from any issues, used by people simply getting from A to B.

However, many of us will have encountered the last train home on a Saturday night, where the sound of harmless, rowdy banter replaces that usual commuter silence.

But what happens when the banter goes too far?

Last week, ScotRail gave me an exclusive opportunity to go behind the scenes and see how their Travel Safe Teams are trying to ensure the railways are safe and comfortable for everyone who uses them.

'The bouncers'

I met the unit I would be following for the night at their base on Paisley Gilmour Street station, made up of Derrick, Connor, and Nicole.

Clad in purple fleeces and body cameras, they laughed-off being described as “the bouncers” by a fellow passenger as we boarded the train, claiming: “Yeah, we get that a lot.”

The team works closely with British Transport Police to support both customers and colleagues to ensure everyone who uses the railways has a safe and comfortable travel experience.

It was designed to be a reactive resource with the ability to quickly focus on emerging hot spots – and its efforts are largely focused within Glasgow and the west.

Since its introduction, ScotRail says it has seen a drop in reported events during, and after, anti-social behaviour exercises – with former hotspots like Helensburgh no longer patrolled due to significant improvements.

However, the team admitted they still deal with daily incidents and that they expect to see more as we approach the Christmas period.

'The second the cameras were off I saw what they are up against '

I followed the trio for a few hours of what they deemed a particularly quiet shift on a rainy Wednesday evening – likely, they told me, was because a journalist with an obvious camera was present.

The second the cameras were off – I really got to see what they are up against on a daily basis.

After some station patrolling and carriage walkthroughs on services between Partick and Dalmuir, I caught an unmonitored service home.

As I waved goodbye to the team who smiled at me from the platform, I was instantly met by a group of young boys in the same carriage.

The familiar sounds of the train doors closing were then drowned out by the group shouting sweary abuse, and directing obscene gestures at the team I had only just left on the platform.

It is easy to understand why this behaviour is intimidatory to some passengers and staff, and how the situation can escalate for staff who try to intervene.

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"One of my colleagues was racially abused - another was assaulted"

Derrick comes from a policing background and makes some comparisons between the roles.

He said: “Unfortunately antisocial incidents do happen, and we're there to try and provide as much support as we can to try to safeguard the victims that are sitting there.

“There are a mixture of situations and scenarios where I've been able to use my previous experience, and ultimately you're reassuring whoever that member of the public that’s been the victim of a potential crime.

“One of my colleagues has been racially abused, I've had it where one of my colleagues was assaulted as well. It does happen, unfortunately.

“We could go and get the next train and we could come across a member of the public who's aggressive or abusive or something - each one's different."

"You never know what you're dealing with"

When asked if the abuse wears them down, Derrick explained: “It keeps us going because we've always got to be alert in terms of the job that we're doing and making sure it isn't happening to anyone else.

“We start generally at quarter past 3, we're working until 11 o'clock at night and we've got to be on our toes all the time because you just never know what you're dealing with.

“It’s slightly different from my previous role with the police where I generally knew what I was going to be dealing with.

“But there is nothing more rewarding than when you know that you've got a happy customer that's going home safe, that they can feel reassured about the safety of the network.”

All about ScotRail

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'No one should feel unsafe at work'

The team explained that while their primary role is to tackle antisocial behaviour, they are also trained in safeguarding, and simply assisting customers who may be lost or confused.

Nicole explains that the service is particularly beneficial for female travellers – but that it can be of great comfort to everyone.

She said: “Our job entails anti-social behaviour, yes, but also suicide awareness and vulnerable passengers.

“That is a very big umbrella, so it can vary. We can deal with anything from lost passengers, just needing some assistance, all the way down the line to people in crisis that really do need your help.

“No one should feel unsafe or uneasy on the network.

“You should have the right to travel in peace and quiet and enjoy your journey, just like everybody else.

“We do deal with antisocial behaviour directed at staff a lot – unfortunately, when you deal with the public daily, you will come across it.

“No one should feel unsafe at work. I think it's really important that the staff feel protected and that's something that we strive to do.”

If you ever experience an incident on Scotland’s Railway, we’re urged to report it to a member of rail staff, or by texting or calling British Transport Police on 61016 or 0800 40 50 40.

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