Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the current legislation regarding endangering passenger safety on trains; and what assessment they have made of whether the current legislation regarding the safe operation of trains adequately protects the guard from legal action related to reckless actions by passengers.

There is a range of legislation in place aimed at rail operators, to ensure the safety of the travelling public and workers, which is reviewed periodically. For example, The Railways and Other Guided Transport Systems (Safety) Regulations 2006 (ROGS) provide the regulatory regime for rail safety, including the mainline railway, metros (including London Underground), tramways, light rail and heritage railways. These regulations were recently subject to a periodic implementation review (PIR), which found they were working well.

Any allegations about the conduct of rail staff, including in response to actions by passengers, would be subject to the appropriate civil or criminal law.