Drunken offshore workers on trains travelling from Aberdeen to other parts of Scotland and England will be targeted in a new crackdown by police.
British Transport Police (BTP) is stepping-up patrols on carriages and at stations to tackle the rising number of passengers and staff being abused.
BTP said there had been 27 incidents in the past six months, compared with 24 from April 2013-March 2014, and 25 the previous year. The cases all resulted in people being reported to the fiscal, although officers said many others may have gone undetected.
Incidents included a 32-year-old man being arrested after verbally abusing a couple on an Aberdeen-bound train in August.
And just two days before, passengers were intimidated by a five offshore workers travelling between Aberdeen and Newcastle.
The Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has teamed-up with BTP for the crackdown.
Willie Strang, from the union, said: “Rail staff members from Edinburgh and Aberdeen tell me they have had intimidating and threatening behaviour. It is at its worst when there are groups of offshore workers returning home.
“It is getting to the point they are holding trains at locations they know have a BTP presence or will get support from Police Scotland and are having offenders removed.”
Sergeant Ashley Forbes, from BTP, said there were problems throughout the week – prompting an alcohol ban on an East Coast train between Aberdeen and Newcastle on Friday mornings.
Sgt Forbes warned all trains and stations had CCTV and that officers in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle would stop drunks boarding trains.
Dr Alix Thom, employment and skills manager for Oil and Gas UK, said: “The offshore oil and gas industry does not tolerate antisocial behaviour.
“Incidents identified by BTP, apparently involving individuals representing our community, detail the sort of behaviour this industry does not condone.”
