Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent steps he has taken to help ensure the safety of female passengers on the rail network.

The Department works closely with rail industry partners to improve women's safety. The rail industry has established work programmes to tackle violence against women and girls, including targeted training of frontline staff and improved access to reporting.

In March this year, the Government’s independent Violence against Women and Girls Transport Champions, Laura Shoaf (Chief Executive, West Midlands Combined Authority) and Anne Shaw (Executive Director, Transport for West Midlands), published 13 recommendations – informed by stakeholder engagement – to further improve the safety of women and girls on the transport network, including rail.

The Department welcomed the ambition of the recommendations and is now working with partners from across Government and the transport industry – including rail – to deliver against them. This includes supporting the National Sexual Harassment on Rail campaign and the Rail to Refuge scheme.