Passengers texting 61016 have helped British Transport Police record almost 83,000 crimes in a decade, the Department for Transport said on Saturday.
The figure marks ten years of the ‘See it. Say it. Sorted.’ campaign, which launched in 2016 and encourages passengers to report anything that does not feel right.
More than 1.5 million texts have been exchanged with British Transport Police over the period, the department said. Those texts have led to more than 175,000 police deployments across the rail network.
More than 200,000 texts are now sent to the force each year using 61016, and last year’s volume was almost ten times the level when the campaign began in 2016.
Rail Minister Lord Hendy said the campaign had “played a vital role” in making the railways safe and in changing how people report crimes and issues across the network. He described the 83,000 recorded crimes as proof that reporting leads to real action.
British Transport Police Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi said the 61016 service now receives more than 25,000 messages each month. She said the public were the force’s “eyes and ears on the railway”.
The department gave one example from March 2025. A passenger on a train to London Euston saw a man viewing child abuse material on his phone and reported it discreetly by texting 61016.
Officers intercepted the train and arrested the man, who was later sentenced to more than two years in prison.
The campaign is mandated across every train operator and station in England, Scotland and Wales.
The department said it began primarily as a counter-terrorism message and has since widened to promote 61016 as a route for reporting a broad range of other crimes and safety issues.
The department also said over 60 per cent of people say they feel safer because of visible security measures when travelling.
Passengers who see crime, suspicious behaviour or sexual harassment on the railway can report it directly to British Transport Police by texting 61016. D’Orsi said the service is free and discreet.
The text route lets people report without drawing attention to themselves, which was the case in the Euston incident, where the passenger reported discreetly while on the train.
The department linked the anniversary to wider spending on rail safety. British Transport Police are receiving an extra £63 million over three years for 200 more officers.
Thirty-six of those officers will form a new team dedicated to reducing violence and intimidation against women and girls.
A separate £17 million investment will improve CCTV at stations. For the first time, rail operators are also being assessed on their commitments to tackle violence against women and girls.
The department said the work under nationalisation puts passengers at the heart of transport.