Rail travellers who refuse to stop playing music or videos from their phone when asked by authorised staff face being booted off the train at the next station or being slapped with a fine up to £1,000
Andy Burnham will this week set out a series of ‘everyday fixes’ to try make life a bit better for Brits(Image: Vincent Cole – Manchester Evening News)
Nuisance passengers who vape or litter on buses or play blaring music on trains will face new fines under an antisocial behaviour crackdown.
Rail travellers who refuse to stop playing music or videos from their phone when asked by authorised staff face being booted off the train at the next station or being slapped with a fine of up to £1,000.
Andy Burnham will this week set out a series of “everyday fixes” to try make life a bit better for Brits.
Last night, the Prime Minister said: “We’ve all been on the train when someone starts blasting music or videos from their phone. It gets on your nerves and can quickly spoil the journey.
“So, we’re launching a nationwide campaign reminding passengers to use headphones on trains. On top of that, we’re giving local leaders new powers to tackle loud music, vaping and littering on buses. It’s a simple thing, but one that will make journeys that little bit better for all of us.”
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The new national campaign will encourage rail passengers to “share the carriage, not the noise” to improve the journey experience for all. The industry-led campaign will include audio reminders of the rules in place on the rail network.
Guidance has also been issued today supporting local authorities to issue fixed penalties of up to £100 for bus passengers who cause trouble, including littering, vaping, and threatening behaviour on buses.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “It is so frustrating when the actions of an inconsiderate few spoil journeys for the rest of us, whether that is vaping, littering or blasting music out loud. Even small changes in behaviour can make a massive difference to people’s experience on public transport.
“That’s why we’re empowering local leaders to shape bus services around the needs of their communities and taking advantage of publicly owned Train Operating Companies to encourage people to be considerate of others on public transport and reminding them of the potential consequences if they aren’t.”
Ben Plowden, chief executive of the Campaign for Better Transport, said: “Antisocial behaviour, like noisy phone use, vaping and littering, are not just irritating: they can be a real deterrent to people using public transport, especially people with different accessibility requirements. If these new powers are properly and visibly enforced, they should help everyone feel safe and comfortable on public transport and enjoy the ride.
“We can all do our bit by showing consideration to our fellow passengers: keeping bags and feet off seats, looking up and offering our seats to people who need them, or vacating the wheelchair space straight away when required.”
The powers for authorities on bus enforcement were made possible by the Bus Services Act 2025, meaning all local transport authorities across England are able to set and enforce their own local rules. Bus drivers will not be responsible for enforcement. Instead, authorised officers, including Transport Safety Officers and the Police will be able to deal with incidents.
The legal power for all local transport authorities in England to crack down on nuisance behaviour on buses came into force on 5 August. Today’s guidance will help them put these new local rules into practice.
