Violence on trains has risen by 43 per cent in England and Wales in the past five years, government figures suggest. British Transport Police recorded 6,354 offences on trains during 2004-05, compared with 4,428 during 1999-2000.
Broken down into more than 40 police jurisdictions, the data indicated that violence on trains during that period more than trebled in some areas.
Chris Grayling, the Shadow Transport Secretary, said: “It is completely unacceptable that the Government has given this issue such low priority in recent years. Not only is this yet another example of a government promise (to make public transport safer) thrown out of the window, it is also a matter of real anxiety and concern for people using public transport.
“How can we encourage people to make better use of public transport if it is becoming more dangerous to do so?”
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Violence on trains declined only in Dorset, Gwent, Gloucestershire and Leicestershire.