Train Incidents

We monitor instances of crime and anti-social behaviour across our network to ensure strategic and relevant systems and procedures are implemented to keep everyone on our network safe

The Public Transport Authority has a zero-tolerance approach to violent or antisocial behaviour on our train network; the personal safety and security of everyone – passengers and staff – on our system is paramount. We invest heavily in ensuring our network is as safe as possible for the people who use it, and pride ourselves on offering the best security system on public transport in Australia.

Our bus and train stations are designed with passenger security in mind, and all have high-level lighting. All major stations are staffed, with a particular emphasis on security after 3pm.

We have thousands of CCTV cameras across our network, on fixed infrastructure as well as inside buses and railcars. Footage from all train and bus stations (including car parks and bike shelters) is monitored at our CMR (central monitoring room), a state-of-the-art facility which is manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Footage from railcars and buses is recorded and available for use if needed.

A fleet of 32 patrol cars (ten operated by transit officers covering the rail system, and 22 operated by contracted security officers covering the bus and ferry systems) provides a fast and effective response to any incidents of antisocial behaviour.

All railway platforms have an emergency call button, which links directly through to an operator inside the CMR, and two transit officers are assigned to every train after 7pm.

The following figures are based on action reports submitted by transit officers who, while on PTA property, have powers similar to those of police.

Glossary

APO: Assault Public Officer

IWP: Interference with Property

VOB: Violent/Offensive Behaviour

	Alcohol / Drugs	Assault	APO*	Damage	IWP*	Smoking	Stealing	VOB*	Weapons	Total
2022-23	16	3	2	32	7	30	6	0	4	100

	Alcohol / Drugs	Assault	APO*	Damage	IWP*	Smoking	Stealing	VOB*	Weapons	Total
2022-23	508	397	282	948	339	871	449	78	209	4081
2021-22	428	340	194	843	291	509	351	74	174	3204
2020-21	369	335	204	675	218	374	350	113	161	2799
2019-20	337	319	173	791	176	413	497	116	156	2978
2018-19	281	337	168	764	207	364	588	203	144	3056
2017-18	249	264	135	758	225	354	450	590	152	3177
2016-17	285	227	168	660	199	372	503	738	141	3293
2015-16	281	188	145	652	168	344	459	964	137	3338

	Alcohol / Drugs	Assault	APO*	Damage	IWP*	Smoking	Stealing	VOB*	Weapons	Total
2022-23	98	94	59	213	106	152	98	8	33	861
2021-22	101	77	42	213	95	106	71	20	53	778
2020-21	101	96	47	184	68	85	66	30	51	728
2019-20	84	110	32	217	52	85	99	21	34	734
2018-19	75	84	37	216	71	54	122	57	40	756
2017-18	63	77	35	144	79	56	95	169	53	771
2016-17	122	75	54	149	101	104	112	288	69	1074
2015-16	132	55	55	148	71	97	100	393	61	1112

	Alcohol / Drugs	Assault	APO*	Damage	IWP*	Smoking	Stealing	VOB*	Weapons	Total
2022-23	28	20	23	124	24	51	31	9	17	327
2021-22	44	16	17	69	11	21	24	9	12	223
2020-21	18	17	16	73	13	38	25	9	10	219
2019-20	36	16	10	108	17	34	35	13	17	286
2018-19	31	21	13	87	19	40	58	27	13	309
2017-18	24	13	9	102	13	30	57	66	11	325
2016-17	24	18	13	112	19	52	49	60	6	353
2015-16	29	12	9	170	20	52	68	77	9	446

	Alcohol / Drugs	Assault	APO*	Damage	IWP*	Smoking	Stealing	VOB*	Weapons	Total
2022-23	97	79	32	193	53	149	94	5	37	739
2021-22	58	64	22	169	65	118	72	4	23	595
2020-21	62	54	27	116	36	70	65	10	25	465
2019-20	55	49	21	150	36	101	87	15	32	546
2018-19	61	65	33	120	37	126	139	22	23	626
2017-18	44	31	19	129	39	101	122	96	17	598
2016-17	55	31	14	123	31	99	163	89	17	622
2015-16	36	34	18	116	22	81	92	133	15	547

	Alcohol / Drugs	Assault	APO*	Damage	IWP*	Smoking	Stealing	VOB*	Weapons	Total
2022-23	123	95	80	247	68	225	156	14	55	1063
2021-22	100	78	44	281	54	109	121	8	28	823
2020-21	112	85	49	225	49	92	159	26	39	836
2019-20	86	66	47	194	27	113	235	1	28	797
2018-19	59	54	28	246	41	85	231	57	38	839
2017-18	56	71	26	244	53	93	130	144	29	846
2016-17	32	34	28	208	19	43	126	123	18	631
2015-16	32	34	10	140	27	42	157	134	25	601

	Alcohol / Drugs	Assault	APO*	Damage	IWP*	Smoking	Stealing	VOB*	Weapons	Total
2022-23	56	53	23	76	14	62	24	20	23	351
2021-22	49	45	21	57	11	37	31	18	20	289
2020-21	17	31	16	33	6	23	18	11	10	165
2019-20	23	32	18	55	11	22	17	21	20	219
2018-19	17	36	12	39	10	19	18	16	5	172
2017-18	22	30	23	46	13	26	20	45	10	235
2016-17	27	30	19	34	10	39	22	67	9	257
2015-16	29	18	14	50	6	41	24	61	12	255

	Alcohol / Drugs	Assault	APO*	Damage	IWP*	Smoking	Stealing	VOB*	Weapons	Total
2022-23	90	53	63	63	67	202	40	22	40	640
2021-22	76	60	48	54	55	118	32	15	38	496
2020-21	59	52	49	44	46	66	17	27	26	386
2019-20	53	46	45	67	33	58	24	27	25	378
2018-19	38	77	45	56	29	40	20	24	25	354
2017-18	40	42	23	93	28	48	26	70	32	402
2016-17	25	39	40	34	19	35	31	111	22	356
2015-16	23	35	39	28	22	31	18	166	15	377

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