“You have to have a thick skin in this job because you can be called any name under the sun”

Train drivers are spat at, abused and threatened every day on North West trains.

Northern Rail has asked members of the public to treat all staff with respect while cracking down on abuse. Train operators have reported a number of incidents of conductors facing verbal and physical abuse – including being shouted at, spat at and attacked in recent years.

Lewis Tracey, 28, a conductor from Wigan added: “I had a boy spit in my face and try to punch me a few years ago. They see the uniform and want someone to get away, but sometimes the abuse gets really personal and they don’t realize how much it can affect that person.”

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With the addition of body-worn cameras, he went on to talk about the benefits they have had on staff: “Body-worn cameras and CCTV make a difference because people think twice before abusing someone or hit somebody because they know you’re on camera.”

Fellow conductor Andrew Wade, 59, followed up on this point by adding: “It’s reassuring to know the trains are covered by CCTV and body-worn cameras which are very good and available for everyone to wear.”

He said: “I think it acts as a deterrent to anyone who is anti-social.”

Anthony Mooney, 36, a conductor from Liverpool said: “You have to have a thick skin in this job because you can be called any name under the sun. It can escalate from nothing when you least expect it.

“I got a tirade of homophobic abuse from someone and he threatened to kill me. All because I asked him for a ticket.”

Northern has installed a further 600 new CCTV cameras to already 1,000 monitors in stations. In addition to the £1.7m investment, 7,000 HD CCTV cameras have been installed on board trains, with the rollout of over 1,000 additional body-worn camera kits.

British Transport Police having access to all footage and can use it in prosecutions.

With the added support of cameras and police access, Northern has seen the number of dangerous attacks on its trains fall by almost 90% in the past 12 months.

The operator said in December that the number of recorded incidents had dropped from 69 to just eight. Craig Harrop, regional director for Northern, said: “Every year we welcome millions of customers on board our trains and the overwhelming majority are polite, considerate and respectful of others.

“Unfortunately, given the numbers involved, our drivers also encounter people who are somewhat less respectful of them and the safety-critical role they have on board – and that’s unacceptable.”

Northern said they will not tolerate verbal and physical abuse of staff and will take action against anyone who threatens the safety of their employees.

Train urges that people who witness physical or verbal attacks are encouraged to report them to British Transport Police by texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50 40.