With our continual investment in security measures such as station CCTV, on-train CCTV, Rail Community Officers and additional British Transport Police resources dedicated to South West Trains, our network is becoming a less desirable place for criminals to go about their business. This is one of the reasons why crime on our network continues to fall year after year.

We want our customers to travel without fear of being a victim of crime. There are some steps that you can take to help make this happen:

On train

Keep your personal belongings with you at all times. If you have to store luggage at the end of the carriage, for example, try to keep within line-of-sight of it.
Do not leave valuables such as mobile phones, MP3 players, DVD players, and laptops lying around on tables or chairs. Even if you are sat close by, opportunist thieves may see a tempting opportunity to grab them as they are walking past. This type of theft is most likely to happen as a train is entering a station where it is booked to stop.
If you have left a bag or coat under your seat or behind your seat, be aware that thieves may approach from behind and attempt to steal the item. It is always best to store your belongings in the overhead racks if there is sufficient space.
Try to avoid travelling in empty carriages.
If you are travelling alone and you are likely to fall asleep on the train ensure you have items such as your wallet/purse, mobile phone, and keys on your person and hidden away. Do not leave them in bags or jackets stored in luggage racks. If you have a small bag with you it is advisable to keep it down by your feet if you feel that you are going to fall asleep. Thefts can occur when people have dozed off on the train – you are an easy target.
If you are travelling alone and you need to go to the toilet or the buffet ask a fellow passenger to keep an eye on your belongings for you. Be aware that this does not guarantee their safety and the fellow passenger does not become responsible for your property.
When travelling on one of our trains make a note of the carriage number when you board. This can be found on the exterior of one end of the carriage at the bottom. It always contains 5 digits. It is also good practice to remember where in the train you are situated (i.e. the second carriage from the front by the front passenger door, or if the seats are numbered, the seat number you are sat in). If you are unfortunate enough to become a victim of crime on one of our trains you are advised to pass this information to the British Transport Police when you report it as this will help locate relevant on-train CCTV.

Station

When buying a ticket from the ticket office, using a ticket/cash/vending machine, or getting your ticket out of your purse or wallet please be aware of people around you. A wallet or purse on full display is a tempting target for a thief. Keep such items in pockets or bags as much as possible.
If you are buying a ticket from the ticket office or using a ticket/cash/vending machine and you have bags with you, keep an eye on them. You can be distracted just enough to make it possible for a thief to snatch your bags without you realising.
If travelling during the hours of darkness wait for your train in a well lit and well populated area of the platform if possible.
If you feel uneasy when waiting on a platform, for whatever reason, stand close to one of our Help Points (available on every South West Trains platform). You will then be able to contact us quickly if assistance is needed.
Do not walk away from your luggage or bags – keep them with you and within your sights at all times.
If you are using one or our ticket vending machines and it does any of the following please contact our Customer Service Centre on 0845 6000 650 immediately:
o It does not register banknotes or coins you have fed into the machine
o It does not return your change or does not return rejected banknotes to you
o It does not issue you a ticket despite having entered the right amount of money

How you can help us

Report any crimes to the British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40. If you have witnessed the crime or been the victim of the crime the report must come from you. Our employees will not be able to report it to the police on your behalf.
If you come across behaviour which, whilst not criminal, nonetheless causes you discomfort or anxiety (e.g. rowdy behaviour on a specific train on a regular basis, or large groups loitering on station platforms) please let us know by emailing securityadmin@swtrains.co.uk. We will use this information to help us and the British Transport Police target and deploy our resources more effectively. Please do not report any crimes via this email address. All crimes should be reported directly to the British Transport Police. We are unable to instigate an immediate response to events via this channel – it is designed to enable you to better inform us of issues you come across. We will not reply to your email but we promise to use the information to proactively address your issues.
Please do not give money or anything else to beggars. Begging is a railway byelaw offence. South West Trains donates money to registered homeless charities on a regular basis. Report any beggars to the British Transport Police on the number above.