Immersive VR film at Liverpool Lime Street station invites passengers to find out how they can help to tackle sexual harassment on the railway
- Rail industry is committed to tackling sexual harassment on the network and have designed an immersive virtual reality (VR) experience to empower bystanders to recognise and help combat sexual harassment on the railway.
- A small action could make a big difference - 85% of women would feel relieved if someone intervened when experiencing sexual harassment on public transport.
- VR experience on show at Liverpool Lime Street station is latest in a series of nationwide events to highlight the rail industry’s efforts to tackle sexual harassment, and its commitment to helping people feel safe on the railway.
As part of the rail industry's continued commitment to make sure every passenger feels safe when travelling by train, an immersive virtual reality (VR) experience is coming to Liverpool Lime Street station on Friday 28th of February to show how passengers can take small actions to make everyone feel safe on the network.
The event is designed to educate and empower passengers to safely intervene and report perpetrators by providing advice and tips, as well as illustrating small actions that can be made by bystanders.
A survey by UN Women UK revealed that sexual harassment is a real and far-reaching issue with seven in ten (71%) women in the UK having experienced some form of sexual harassment in a public space. Research commissioned by the rail industry found that 85% of women would feel relieved if someone intervened during incidents of sexual harassment on public transport.
Through events like this, the rail industry seeks to equip bystanders to recognise and tackle all forms of sexual harassment.
The short VR film shows how small actions, such as asking the victim if they want to swap seats or distracting the perpetrator with a question, can prevent further escalation in the moment. By highlighting how situations can develop, it is hoped to encourage bystanders to help targets of unwanted sexual behaviour before police or rail staff can be involved.
Nicole Jennings, Chief Delivery Officer at Rail Delivery Group, said: “At Rail Delivery Group we are committed to making sure all of our customers feel safe on our railway. This campaign is about raising awareness of the small interventions that can make a big difference. Through the rollout of our immersive VR experience at stations nationwide, we're equipping individuals with the tools to intervene safely as bystanders before the police or rail staff get involved.
“Whether witnessing or experiencing anything that makes you uncomfortable, we urge everyone to report incidents promptly to the British Transport Police via text at 61016.
“Everyone travelling on Britain's railway has the right to feel safe and empowered to speak out against such behaviours.”
Greg Suligowski, Head of Corporate Affairs and Communications at Merseyrail, said: “We work hard to make sure our customers feel safe whilst travelling on Merseyrail and that’s why it’s so important for us to support this event at Liverpool Lime Street.
“Through talking to our customers, we know that they generally think Merseyrail is a safe network, however we aren’t complacent and are committed to making sure that those that are likely to feel more vulnerable whilst travelling are supported.
“Our new fleet of trains has a range of features in its design which ensure customers’ safety. All of our trains have on-board Train Managers who are able to help in any situation. Live CCTV cameras are monitored, allowing colleagues from BTP or our security teams to respond if needed and when appropriate.”
Dave Whitehouse, Director of Safety and Sustainability at Avanti West Coast, said: “We want everyone to feel safe when travelling on our network and alongside the rest of the industry we’re committed to tackling the issue of unwanted sexual behaviour on the railway.
“The VR experience is a great tool for equipping people to safely intervene and report incidents without coming to harm. By educating people on what to look out for and highlighting the role they can play, we hope to encourage them to make a meaningful difference if they come across anything untoward when travelling.”
Liverpool Lime Street is the latest station to offer the immersive VR experience, as part of the industry-wide campaign, which Rail Delivery Group continues to work on closely with the British Transport Police, experts and partner organisations.
How to report
Passengers who see something that makes them feel uncomfortable can report it to British Transport Police by texting 61016. In an emergency, always call 999.
To watch the full VR film, visit the National Rail YouTube channel here.
Contact Information
Juste Raipaite
Notes to editors
The rail industry is committed to ending sexual harassment on trains and at stations. You can find more information about it here.
The Rail industry is committed to making the railway a safe space for all and RDG has worked on other industry-wide safety initiatives such as Rail to Refuge.
The Rail Industry and British Transport Police are calling for greater awareness and education of less known acts of harassment, whilst encouraging people to report it if they see it taking place:
- Intrusive staring or leering
- Persistent questioning
- Catcalling
- Sexual comments, jokes, gestures, or name-calling
- Groping or touching
- Someone exposing themselves
Bystander Intervention Tips by Graham Goulden, bystander intervention expert and ex-Criminal Chief Investigating Officer in the Scottish Police:
- The scenes depicted in the footage show realistic situations which are unfortunately experienced all too often. If you witness similar events, there are ways you can safely intervene to stop the perpetrator:
- Offer to swap seats with the passenger;
- Stand or sit between the two (no need to make eye contact);
- Ask the perpetrator an unrelated question to distract them – this can be as simple as “What’s the time?”;
- If you can, make sure the passenger is okay. Tell them what happened was wrong and wasn’t their fault;
- Report it to British Transport Police by texting 61016
The most important thing to remember is that these actions can all be effective to take if they feel safe to you as a bystander.
About the research
- The Rail Industry commissioned Opinium Research to survey 2,000 UK adults, nationally representative by age, gender, and region, during summer 2022.
- When it comes to the act of reporting, 57% did not report the incident to the likes of the police, a helpline or operation staff (e.g., bus driver, train staff).
- Most popular reasons for not reporting experiences include:
- o not wanting to put themselves in an unsafe situation (41%);
- o not wanting to make the situation worse (38%), or;
- o not knowing what to do or say (28%).
- Most common reasons for not intervening include:
- o not believing the situation was serious enough at the time (39%);
- o followed by not feeling confident enough to challenge someone they know (35%), and;
- o feeling too uncomfortable to say anything (35%).