Glasgow Central crime rises by over 30 per cent in a year, figures show

Incidents of crime at Glasgow Central, Scotland’s busiest train station, have risen by over 30% in a year.

In the latest figures from the British Transport Police, 224 instances of crime were recorded between March 2023 and February 2024 compared to 170 in the previous year.

Incidents of violent crime and sexual offences per 100,000 passengers rose to 76 from 68 in the previous year, with an estimated 15,000,000 passengers going through Glasgow Central each year.

On-train crime, including anti-social behaviour offences committed on trains and reported at the station, increased from 46 to 60.

Scotland’s second busiest train station, Edinburgh Waverley, which has an estimated 10,800,000 passengers a year, saw a rise from 104 instances of crime to 179 between March 2023 and February 2024.

Glasgow Queen Street, which has approximately 8,000,000 passengers per year, saw incidents of crime rise to 86 from 58 in the same time period.

A steady passenger increase is one of a number of potential factors in the rise of incidents.

A spokesperson for the British Transport Police said: “The public’s safety is our number one priority and our officers are working tirelessly to protect journeys across Scotland’s rail network.

The chances of becoming a victim of crime on the railway network is extremely low and our data shows 18 crimes per million Scotrail passenger journeys between April and December 2023.

“We have officers across Scotland’s network around the clock, at stations and on trains, to detect and deter crime.

“We are aware that every violent offence is one too many and we work relentlessly alongside our partners the rail industry, including ScotRail and Network Rail, and Police Scotland to prevent this type of behaviour.

“Additionally, we use crime statistics such as these to target our patrols and ensure that our officers are exactly where they are most needed.

“When crimes do happen, we’re fortunate to work in a CCTV rich environment to help to bring offenders to justice.

“We encourage all passengers who see or experience crime to report it to us so we can take action.

“They can discreetly report crimes or concerns via text 61016 or via the Railway Guardian app and we urge people to ensure they save the number or download the app in case they ever need it.

“In an emergency, always call 999.”