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Racial and religious hate crime on public transport is on the rise according to new data obtained by the Guardian, as community groups report how people are restricting their daily journeys because they fear abuse or assault.
Police forces across the country have recorded an increase in hate crimes over the past year, with a significant rise in racially motivated offences in Scotland as well as religious hate crimes targeting Muslims in England and Wales.
But public transport creates a particular dynamic where aggressors are often emboldened by alcohol, can isolate their targets and then exit at the next stop.
According to figures obtained by a freedom of information request, racial hate crime recorded by British Transport Police across England, Wales and Scotland increased from 2,827 cases in 2019-20 to 3,258 in 2024-25.
Religious hate crime saw a similarly upward trend from 343 in 2019-20 to 419 in 2023-24 although it slightly dipped to 372 the following year.
Courtney was travelling by train out of Glasgow city centre in August this year when an elderly woman boarded the carriage and sat opposite.
“I didn’t think anything of it, I had my earphones in and was just choosing music,” says Courtney. “Out of nowhere, she began making racist remarks, which got progressively louder after she put on a face mask. I stayed quiet because I was genuinely taken aback, you never expect that kind of hostility from a stranger.”
Like many twentysomethings, Courtney vlogs parts of her day for TikTok. “But what prompted me to start recording was when she took out a Dettol disinfectant spray and sprayed it in my direction. At that point, I felt I needed to document what was happening for my own safety.”
The woman eventually moved seats but continued to verbally harass Courtney, telling her: “Go back to your own country.”
At this point, some fellow passengers stepped in to support her. She recognises that not everyone is comfortable in a direct confrontation but advises: “The most helpful thing by far is to show the targeted person that they’re not alone. Just standing beside the person or checking in with them can completely change how supported they feel.”
“Whether it has gotten ‘worse’ is hard to say, but people seem more emboldened now, especially when they think no one will challenge them.”
Akeela Ahmed, the chief executive of the British Muslim Trust, said the data echoes the stories her organisation are picking up all over the country and calls on local authorities, transport operators and community safety partners “to take urgent and meaningful action”.
“For visible Muslims in particular, the top deck of a bus or a half-empty train carriage can mean threatening behaviour, verbal abuse or even violent attack simply because of their faith,” said Ahmed.
Attacks on public transport reported to the trust are “some of the most complex and distressing cases we have handled to date,” she adds. “Many Muslims now feel compelled to micro-analyse every movement, expression or gesture out of fear that it may be misinterpreted, recorded and weaponised against them.”
“Most alarming is that a significant number of these physical and verbal assaults have targeted children travelling to and from school … the lack of CCTV coverage on buses and at many stops means perpetrators routinely evade accountability.”
While racist hate crime is still under-reported, published figures are probably the tip of the iceberg, according to Carol Young, the deputy director of the Scottish anti-racism charity Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights. “Anecdotally, we know that using public transport may not feel safe for everyone and some people may avoid using it or restrict their use to certain times of day.”
Dave Rich, the head of policy at the Community Safety Trust, said: “Although these figures are for all racial and religious hate crime on public transport, it is telling that the recent increase over the past two years aligns with the rise in antisemitic hate crime since the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October of that year. This is an ongoing problem that shows no signs of abating and it is vital that police, the CPS and transport operators are doing everything they can to catch and prosecute perpetrators of this hatred.”
A spokesperson for British Transport Police said: “Abuse, intimidation and violence – especially that which is motivated by hate – will never be tolerated, and we have acted swiftly and decisively when we receive reports of hate crimes on the rail network.
“If you are a victim of hate crime, or if you witness an incident that makes you feel uncomfortable, please do not suffer in silence.”
