Gangs of unruly youths causing mayhem for fed-up passengers have led to Scotrail and British Transport Police teaming up to crack down on a spike in railway disorder.
High visibility patrols are underway on services between Balloch and Glasgow in a bid to stamp out anti-social behaviour.
BTP and Scotrail’s ‘Travel Safe Team’ are working together to halt the disorder and reassure passengers.
Last week, the Lennox Herald joined one of their patrols to find out how they hope to restore public confidence.
It comes as rail union RMT issued a warning earlier this month, saying train staff could refuse to work on services on the line – with one worker saying she had been left traumatised after attempting to remove brawling thugs who boarded a service in Alexandria.
Earlier this year we reported how the number of crimes reported at West Dunbartonshire train stations have rocketed by almost 50 percent.
Explaining the new approach, BTP Inspector Ryan Tierney told us: “Concerns are very understandable when there is one staff member on the train and there are 30 to 40 kids who are not taking a telling, not paying their fare, being abusive and damaging trains.
“That is one of the biggest reasons we are partnering up with the Travel Safe Team to bring that reassuring message to staff and passengers travelling on the line.
“At times the perception is that it has been very unsafe and we just want to provide that reassuring message that we are here, we wont tolerate anti-social behaviour and we are working with Scotrail Travel Safe Team to restore that.
“There has been a reintroduction of passengers following Covid.
“During Covid we seen large congregations of youths travelling on the network and I think that was down to the no revenue.
“Kids are travelling far and wide now. I think that was something born out of the pandemic.
“It became very easy for them to travel far and wide: large distance travel, alcohol being involved and travelling to places like Balloch.
“We just want to make sure we are clamping down on any sort of vulnerability that brings with it as well.
“We have to make clear that not all kids are involved in criminality but there are large groups that we are putting a lot of focus into to make sure they are behaving.
“For us it’s not about chasing them off the network, people are more than welcome to travel on the network but travel properly.”
Scotrail’s Travel Safe Team was established last year in a move to keep passengers safe while travelling.
Wearing reflective purple jackets, they patrol services which are anti-social behaviour hotspots in a bid to deter disorder.
Inspector Tierney explained: “In practice police would have patrolled the trains themselves.
“The only other person who would have been on the train would be the ticket collector.
“The Travel Safe Team’s sole initiative is to make sure people are travelling safe, that passengers are reassured and staff members are reassured.
“Where of course they cannot enforce laws, BTP are there to assist in that aspect.”
Regular patrols on the line began two weeks ago and the officer told how it’s already having an impact with a decrease in anti-social behaviour.
He added: “It is one that is working extremely well. Over the past two weeks of it running the level of anti-social behaviour has dropped dramatically.
“The number of instances have dropped and the number of young people travelling on the railway has also decreased dramatically as they are aware that the police and the Travel Safe Team are in the area.
“So for those who would have used the service for free and would have engaged in anti social behaviour are very alive to the fact that police and the Travel Safe Team are in the area.
“The youth that we speak to know that they are not ticket collectors. They know that they are here for a purpose to clamp down on anti-social behaviour. They see the distinction already.”
Balloch passenger Elizabeth McDiarmid was travelling on the line and told the Lennox she was delighted by the patrols.
She said: “I have witnessed this train in the height of summer with people coming down here and the things that they do on the trains is absolutely awful.”
When asked whether it puts her off from going on trains, she said: “Yeah because it is quite intimidating. I would hate to be on a train full of young people.
“I feel as though I can speak to young people but if that didn’t work then I would be intimidated.
“I think it is a fantastic service but I do hope they keep it up over the summers as that is when Balloch is going to really need it. Anybody that comes down on this train on a Friday night and you get to Renton, that train gets full. It’s full of young kids who are already drunk and falling about the train.
“You’re talking ages 13 to 14 and it does get worrying because sometimes there are older men on the train making passes at these young people and it is not nice to witness.”
Inspector Tierney said the onus was also on parents and carers to ensure they know where their children are in the evenings.
He added: “The message goes back to parents and carers of where are your kids? Where are your kids at night?
“It is a very dangerous infastructure when they are indulging in alcohol. So we need the support of the local community and parents and carers.”
He said the crackdown will continue into the summer months as the line gets increasingly busier, adding: “The planning is well underway in terms of partnership working as well as a lot of third sector parties and Police Scotland as well.
“When we look at the summer months and the dangers that come with that in terms of open water space and alcohol we really need parents and carers to be on the ball with where their kids are.”
Earlier this year Scotrail confirmed it would proceed with plans to cut staffed hours at stations across the area - including Alexandria, Balloch, Dumbarton Central and Helensburgh.
It prompted outrage from local politicians who fear it will cause further rises in disorder.
Commenting on the concerns, Inspector Tierney said: “That of course would be a decision for Scotrail and something they might use their Travel Safe Team for.
“In terms of BTP, that is something we look at already where stations arent staffed. It is not a new thing. Where we see any perceived vulnerability, particularly concerning women and girls at night, we will send officers on those lines.”
He urged anybody travelling on the railway with any concerns over a non-emergency crime to alert staff discreetly by texting 61016.
He said: “That will send a message through to our control room to let us know that you do need assistance from police on board the service. That will alert ourselves and the Travel Safe Team.”
