Caledonian Sleeper crew members will wear body cameras after facing an increase in verbal abuse on the service linking London with Inverness, Fort William and Aberdeen
Caledonian Sleeper staff are to wear body cameras amid concerns over an increase in verbal abuse.
Operators of the iconic sleeper train, linking London with Inverness, Fort William and Aberdeen, will spend around £200,000 equipping their crew members with the technology.
According to a new public contract issued by Caledonian Sleeper Limited (CSL), verbal assaults on staff have increased recently.
It reads: “Due to an increase in instances of verbal assault, CSL has taken the decision to introduce BWVC for all on-board and station lounge staff.”
The tender states 100 Body Worn Video Cameras, costing approximately £200,000 over three years, will be needed.
Kathryn Darbandi, managing director of Caledonian Sleeper, said: “The safety and well-being of both our guests and our team is of paramount importance.
“Therefore, in line with the trends seen across the rail industry, we have taken the decision to incorporate body-worn video cameras onto our services.
A Transport Scotland spokesperson said: “While the vast majority of passengers behave responsibly, any abuse of frontline public transport staff is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
“Everyone working or using public transport has an absolute right to go about their business without fear of abuse.”
CSL is owned and overseen by Scottish Rail Holdings Ltd (SRH Ltd), which is owned by the Scottish Government.
The service was brought back into public ownership in June 2023 after the previous operator Serco’s contract was terminated seven years early.
The Caledonian Sleeper is one of only two overnight services in the UK, with the Night Riviera from London to Penzance being the other.
