Bodycams for ScotRail workers ‘after they’re threatened and groped’

BODY cameras are to be issued to all of ScotRail’s customer-facing staff to help protect workers from verbal and physical attacks.

Up to 1,200 devices are being bought for staff at the nationalised rail operator.

It comes after a dossier reported staff had been subjected to incidents which included being groped and threatened with knives and makeshift flame-throwers. ScotRail’s ban on alcohol is to continue indefinitely.

Unions welcomed the move but said the cameras would be voluntary for their members – claiming footage in the past has been used in disciplinary proceedings against workers.

A tender for the four-year bodyworn camera contract, understood to be worth more than £100,000, states: ‘The initial focus will be on replacing the existing estate (approximately 300 devices), with an aspiration to ultimately have a camera available to every customer-facing employee, which is an estimate of 1,200.’

Documents state ‘video standard must be of evidential quality with recording of sound’ and minimum recording capacity must cover a typical shift of ten hours. It adds the device must provide a ‘visible indication to ensure potential data subjects are aware of recording’.

The rail operator was nationalised in April after the previous franchise contract, operated by Abellio, was ended following years of criticism over its service.

The RMT union’s Mick Hogg said: ‘We welcome the availability of bodyworn cameras. They protect passengers and staff by acting as a deterrent and can also be used in helping to bring to justice those responsible for antisocial behaviour. However, footage in the past has been used in disciplinary proceedings against staff so the cameras will be on a voluntary basis for our members.’

In May, the RMT published a dossier of incidents which described how staff on ScotRail routes had been threatened with knives, makeshift flame-throwers and fire extinguishers. The union also said there were incidents where windows were smashed, seats were burnt and a female member of staff was grabbed and groped by a group of men.

Figures last month showed 46 physical assaults on train staff have been recorded in 2022, alongside 156 incidents where employees were verbally abused. This year’s figures are likely to far exceed 2021’s totals of 61 physical attacks and 166 incidents of verbal abuse.

Liam Kerr, Scottish Conservative transport spokesman, said: ‘If things continue at this rate, verbal and physical attacks this year will be more than double the previous rate.’

A spokesman for ScotRail said in July that the ban on consuming alcohol on trains would remain ‘for the time being’. Passengers have been forbidden from drinking on trains since the onset of Covid.

The rail operator said it ‘would not be appropriate to disclose budgets’ for the cameras during the tender process but said there are 320 operational body-worn cameras currently in use. It said footage in the past ‘has been used to assist police inquiries which has led to the conviction and imprisonment of offenders’.

Stephen Elliot, ScotRail security and crime manager, said: ‘Antisocial behaviour is completely unacceptable and we do everything we can to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.’