The Government came under fire on Saturday after it emerged a record number of sex crimes were committed on the railways last year.
Figures show 2,658 sex offences were recorded on the network in 2024-25 – equivalent to more than 50 every week – an increase of almost 10 per cent.
British Transport Police (BTP) data reveals that only 449 cases were solved – with the suspect either charged or given a lesser sanction, such as a caution, to wrap up the investigation.
In around half the cases – 1,333 – the police never identified a suspect.
And in almost 700 sex crimes where police did manage to identify a prime suspect, they were unable to gather enough evidence to bring a formal case.
Labour has come under fire for not adequately funding the BTP, which saw officer numbers fall by 112 in the year to September 2025.
Shadow transport secretary Richard Holden said: ‘Labour has completely lost the plot on public transport. They are stripping officers off the rail network just as violence, harassment and fare evasion are surging.’
Eddie Dempsey, general secretary of the RMT union, said: ‘These are deeply disturbing figures that underline why we need a properly funded BTP, an end to lone working and more staff on trains and stations.
More than 2,500 sex offences were recorded on the rail network in 2024-25 (file pic)
A record number of sex crimes were committed on railways last year (file pic)
‘There is an epidemic of sexual violence against women and girls, so it is incumbent on the trade union movement and wider society to confront these evils head on.’
Kevin Moore, a retired detective chief superintendent and former head of CID at Sussex Police, said: ‘Cuts to officer numbers, whether on the railways or elsewhere, will of course always have a negative impact on police performance.’
Most trains and stations are now covered by CCTV cameras in a bid to increase the safety of rail users and to help police when investigating a crime.
The stations linked to the most sex crimes committed in London were Euston (29), King’s Cross (28), Waterloo (23), Green Park Underground (21) and London Bridge (20).
Outside the capital, the stations with the worst records were Birmingham New Street (27), Glasgow Central (20), Manchester Piccadilly (19), Liverpool Lime Street (14) and Reading (13).
A BTP spokesman told The Mail on Sunday the rise in recorded sexual offences was ‘partly driven by increased public confidence to report crimes of this nature’.