More than 30 hours of rail delays have been caused by customers incorrectly using the onboard alarms in the first five months of this year, it has been revealed. 

South West Rail Services, which has trains running to and from Swindon and Wiltshire, said that in the period from December 2021 until May 2022 there were 176 incidents of customers incorrectly activating emergency alarms.

It added that this caused 1,825 minutes of delays and nine service cancellations.

When an alarm is activated, the train guard must walk through the train to investigate the incident, with the train remaining at a standstill.

This not only causes delays to the train on which the activation takes place, but leads to trapped trains behind it, potentially leading to significant and unnecessary disruption to many.

Christian Neill, customer experience director for South Western Railway, said: “Customer alarms should only be used in emergencies. Improper activations cause significant disruption to services, negatively impacting staff, and other customers. 

“SWR has robust measures in place to support customers who are feeling unwell or to tackle the disorder. Customers in need of assistance should speak to a member of staff or contact the British Transport Police by texting 61016.” 

South West Rail Service stressed that the alarms should be reserved for emergencies, such as a fire on the train. The penalty for intentionally activating an alarm incorrectly is £1,000.

Incidents of incorrect usage of alarms over the period included: 

  • A customer activated an alarm because they were feeling anxious, leading to a five-minute delay 
  • A customer activated an alarm because of forgotten luggage on a platform, leading to a seven-minute delay 
  • A customer activated an alarm because they claimed they had dropped their phone out of a train window, leading to an eight-minute delay 
  • A customer activated an alarm because they became concerned about an unattended bag, leading to a 17-minute delay 

In non-emergency circumstances, customers are urged to use alternative ways to receive assistance like speaking to the onboard guard or any member of staff or getting off at the next station to seek assistance from staff or using the help point button.

Someone needing help could also consider contacting the British Transport Police on 61016 or SWR on Twitter via @SW_Help before pulling the alarm.