Network Rail, Greater Thameslink Railway, and the British Transport Police (BTP) stepped up visible patrols and measures to protect the public at Clapham Junction station on Friday after figures showed rising numbers of trespassing which can cause immensely disruptive delays and frustration to customers.
On Friday 6 November, teams from Network Rail, Greater Thameslink Railway, South Western Railway, South Eastern Railway, and First Rail London were at Clapham Junction to provide a visible presence, patrol the railway and talk directly to customers about safety and security.
This followed a sharp rise in incidents across Network Rail’s Sussex route, including London’s Clapham Junction station, in which recorded trespass incidents rose from 715 in 2021/22 to 951 in 2025/26.
Activity on Friday’s day of action included positive engagements with 609 members of the public and a demonstration of a drone which patrols the Clapham Junction station area, cutting the amount of time it takes teams to respond to potential incidents.
A similar ‘week of action’ in August, which resulted in one arrest and 622 positive engagements with members of the public at four different stations, demonstrated that incidents at specific locations in Sussex dropped by 87% compared with the week before and after the week of action campaign.
Paul Langley, head of security, crime and resilience for Network Rail said: “Trespass and other incidents on the railway can have serious consequences. They put people at risk and when they occur at somewhere as busy as Clapham Junction we see significant disruption to thousands of passengers whose lives are disrupted when they may just be trying to get to work, get home or catch a flight.
“That’s why we’re working closely with British Transport Police to take practical, targeted action. By combining visible patrols with technology such as drones, while making sure our colleagues are equipped to support vulnerable people, we can help make the railway safer for everyone.”
Mike Boyce, head of security and policing at Greater Thameslink Railway, that operates Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express services, commented: “Some people don’t realise just how dangerous railway tracks are. From electrocution to the risk of being hit by trains travelling at up to 100mph, you simply don’t want to be there. That’s why we do everything we can to keep people safe and our trains moving without disruption.
“Some people, of course, may be in a difficult, dark place, which is why, with the Samaritans, we train all our station teams to spot and support vulnerable people. Last year alone, this helped our colleagues make more than 200 life-saving interventions.”
The Day of Action builds on wider work by Greater Thameslink Railway/South Western Railway/ South Eastern Railway and British Transport Police to tackle trespassing and railway crime.
This includes the Crime with Consequences campaign and closer joint working.
BTP Inspector Paul Donovan said: “Clapham Junction is one of the busiest railway stations in Europe, serving thousands of passengers every day, so events like this are a welcome opportunity to work alongside our partners and highlight not only the work we do to keep people safe, but listen to their views as well.
“Through a combination of high-visibility patrols, plain-clothes operations and innovative technology, including our ‘Drone in a Box’ capability, we are committed to tackling trespass, preventing crime, targeting offenders and ensuring passengers can travel through the rail network with confidence.”
Technology is also playing a growing role, with new CCTV cameras being rolled out at Lewisham, and line-of-sight and new beyond-visual-line-of-sight drones used across the network to help identify offenders and reduce disruption to passengers.
The railway also works with partners including Samaritans through its dedicated safeguarding team. Many colleagues have received training through work with Samaritans and other groups, helping frontline staff to identify and support vulnerable people.
Image credit: Network Rail
