ScotRail has strengthened its commitment to promoting a safe railway environment with the expansion of its Travel Safe Team.  

Nine new members of the team, who will be based at Haymarket station in Edinburgh, are now in place – marking a 33 per cent increase from 27 to 36. From the base at Haymarket, the team can serve the east of ScotRail’s network, both on train and in stations. 

The Travel Safe Team has been a significant success since its introduction in 2021, taking a proactive approach to helping to keep people stay safe across the country.  

The team works closely with British Transport Police to support staff and customers both on trains and in stations, which includes being visible day-to-day across Scotland’s Railway, and taking a targeted approach to hot spots, or major events.  

ScotRail continues to make considerable investment to improve safety on the rail network, including a £1.6million investment to triple the number of body-worn cameras to tackle anti-social behaviour, and hiring more people to double staff late-night trains on several routes on the network. 

In December last year, the ‘Respect our rail workers’ campaign was launched by Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop MSP alongside ScotRail, Network Rail, the British Transport Police, and trade unions.  

The campaign urges customers to consider the lasting impact that violence or abuse can have on someone, and reminds everyone that there is a person behind every uniform.  

Scotland’s Railway also has one of the largest CCTV networks in the UK, with more than eight thousand cameras, monitoring more than 360 stations. As part of a £2 million improvement to the CCTV network, cameras are now equipped with intelligent video analytics at 60 stations which can monitor movements in real time and support authorities in any follow up investigations. 

With the Travel Safe Team members now based in Paisley and Haymarket and able to operate across large parts of ScotRail’s network, more customers will have the chance to experience the positive impact they have on the journey experience.  

Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, joined new Travel Safe Team members on duty on Edinburgh Waverley to see first-hand their work in delivering a safe environment for staff and customers. 

Phil Campbell, ScotRail Customer Operations Director, said: 

“I am delighted to see the new members of the Travel Safe Team join ScotRail and it really helps to demonstrate our commitment to delivering a safe railway for everyone. 

“The team does a fantastic job every day to promote a safe environment both on trains and in our stations, and the new team members will help to deliver even more. 

“We are continuing to invest across the business in measures to improve safety, with our CCTV network, body cameras, and enhanced staff presence, all playing a critical role in making Scotland’s Railway a welcoming place for everyone who uses it.” 

Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, said: 

“We want more people to choose to travel by public transport for work, study, and leisure. A key part of making the decision to travel by train includes an element of feeling safe. 

“We know by increasing staff visibility, many passengers will feel safe. This further expansion of the ScotRail Travel Safe team is welcome news as we are providing secure employment that makes a difference.”

Image credit: ScotRail