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passengers reminded of rules through coordinated measures
tackling antisocial passenger behaviour on trains and buses
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offenders on buses could face fines of £100 following new
powers for local authorities to crack down on nuisance
behaviour such as vaping and littering
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new campaign encourages rail passengers to share the
carriage, not the noise' and those who refuse to comply can
face prosecution with fines
Passengers will benefit from new government efforts launched
today (19 October 2026) to tackle antisocial behaviour on
transport, including £100 fines on buses and a new campaign to
discourage loudcasting' on trains.
Today, guidance was issued for
local authorities to support their new powers to crackdown on
loud music, littering, vaping and threatening behaviour on buses
- including being able to issue fixed penalties of up to £100 for
those who cause trouble.
Loudcasting' on public transport has become one of modern life's
most irritating parts of the daily commute, and today a new
national campaign aims to encourage rail passengers to share the
carriage, not the noise' to improve the journey experience for
all, as part of the government's everyday fixes. The industry-led
campaign will include audio reminders of the rules in place on the rail
network and, if a passenger refuses to stop when asked by
authorised rail staff, they can be removed from the train at the
next station or face fines up to a maximum of £1,000.
Prime Minister Andy 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.
Transport Secretary 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.
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. Officers will
follow a 3-step approach:
- engaging with the person
- explaining the rules and their impact on other passengers
- taking enforcement action if they refuse to comply
The rail campaign will end the patchwork of current campaigns
across different rail operators, helping create a clear,
consistent message across the network. Most operators will
feature messaging across websites, social media, in carriages and
at stations, and will include posters and announcements. The
campaign demonstrates how, under public ownership, train
operators can push for a more joined-up operation to focus in on
passenger experience to effectively tackle antisocial behaviour.
The legal power for all local transport authorities in England to
crack down on nuisance behaviour on buses came into force on 5
August 2026. Today's guidance will help them put these new local
rules into practice, with each byelaw needing sign-off from the
Secretary of State before it can be enforced.
, Mayor of the West
Midlands, said:
People travelling across our region deserve to feel comfortable,
respected, and most importantly, safe.
While the vast majority of journeys happen without incident,
anti-social behaviour on our transport network whether it's
vaping, littering, loud music, videos or shouting ruins the
experience for everyone.
Our Safer Travel Partnership and transport safety officers are
already making a positive difference to people's journeys on our
buses, trains and trams. And with this clear guidance and backing
from government we can go further with our commitment to making
every journey quieter, cleaner and safer for all.
Ben Plowden, Chief Executive, 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.
