Understand
South Western Railway services face nearly 10,000 minutes of delays due to trespassers
Overview
Data from Network Rail and the British Transport Police reveals that trespass incidents caused 9,437 minutes of delays to South Western Railway (SWR) services during the 2025/26 period. In response to high rates of vandalism and obstruction, SWR and Network Rail have launched a new campaign using drones, sensors, and smart CCTV to catch and deter trespassers.
Key points
- Trespass incidents caused 9,437 minutes of delays to SWR services for the 2025/26 period, equivalent to about six and a half days.
- Across England, trespass, cable theft, and obstruction caused over 3,300 hours of delays during the same period.
- The SWR network recorded the third-highest rate of vandalism and obstruction across Network Rail's 14 routes.
- SWR networks utilize a third rail carrying 750 volts of direct current, posing severe risks of injury or death to trespassers.
- A new campaign by SWR and Network Rail introduces drones, sensors, and smart CCTV, with drones trialled at London Waterloo and planned for other locations.