Reports of sexual assaults and harassment on trains across England, Scotland, and Wales have increased by more than 37% over the past decade, according to data obtained by the BBC through a Freedom of Information request to British Transport Police.
Last year alone, 2,661 incidents were reported, with approximately 10% involving children, some as young as 13 or younger.
The rise in reports is a cause for concern among authorities, although police acknowledge that many cases likely remain unreported.
Several victims shared their experiences to highlight the ongoing issue.
Rhiannon Williams, 18, was sexually harassed by a group of drunken men on a train in west Wales after a day out in Tenby.
She described feeling trapped and unable to escape the situation.
Another victim, Maddie Waktare, recounted being sexually assaulted by a man on a busy London Waterloo train, an incident that left her shocked and reluctant to report at the time.
These testimonies underscore the normalization of such behavior and the intimidation women often face on public transport.
The British Transport Police have increased intelligence-led operations, including deploying plainclothes officers to patrol stations and platforms to identify potential offenders.
Despite these efforts, detectives were unable to identify suspects in half of the 22,100 sexual offence reports over the last ten years.
The UK government has pledged £17 million to enhance police access to station CCTV footage to improve offender identification and prosecution.
A notable case involved Nicholas McMurray, a Great Western Railway train manager who was convicted and jailed for seven years after sexually assaulting an 18-year-old passenger on a train between London Paddington and Swansea.
McMurray was removed from duty and placed on the sex offenders register for life.
This case highlights the abuse of power by individuals in trusted positions within the rail network.
Sexual offences involving children under 18 on trains have tripled from 146 reports in 2015 to 443 in 2025, totaling over 2,900 reports in the past decade.
Authorities emphasize that while the rise in reports is concerning, it may partly reflect increased awareness and victims feeling more empowered to come forward.
The Rail Delivery Group, representing UK train operators, maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward sexual harassment.
The British Transport Police urge anyone experiencing or witnessing sexual assault or harassment on the rail network to report incidents via text to 61016.
The government and police continue to work toward making rail travel safe for all passengers.