Using Train Detection to Improve Passenger Safety
Our train detection technology is now used within Trainline's in-app help centre, Safe Spot – making it easier for passengers to report non-emergency incidents to the British Transport Police (BTP) via SMS.
The tool uses the Signalbox API to quickly match a train to an incident report that travellers can forward to the BTP by text – all from within the app. We automatically add the details of the train to the SMS message, which passengers can send to BTP’s 61016 service. These texts are monitored 24/7, 365 days a year by BTP’s First Contact Centre in Birmingham.
Safe Spot tool uses Find My Train functionality to make it easier for passengers to report a crime or non-emergency incident to the British Transport Police.
Train detection is a powerful tool, with many applications – from delivering personalised information directly to passengers on board, to mapping the entire rail network in real time. And it’s not the first time we’ve explored using Find My Train to improve onboard safety.
But we’re proud to see it being used in a new way – available to passengers on any train, anywhere on the network – to make a real difference for people travelling across Great Britain.
Although we’re in the unusual position of hoping nobody has to use it, we hope that for those passengers who do, linking their incident report to the train they’re on will reassure them their report is processed quickly and accurately.
Trainline’s Help Centre now includes Spot Spot, which uses geolocation technology to match an incident report to a specific passenger train.
Why Accurate Train Detection Matters for Passenger Safety
Sadly, violent incidents on UK trains are increasing. According to British Transport Police, violence against women and girls on British railways rose by 50% in the two years to August 2024.
Many of these incidents go unreported – often because passengers aren’t sure how to report them, or encounter barriers when they try. In many cases, there’s a barrier at the point of reporting.
While we can’t do anything about the rise in incidents on the railways, we can support passengers to report non-emergency incidents quickly and accurately. With that in mind, Safe Spot was developed to make it easier for passengers to contact the right people – and to give British Transport Police accurate information from the start.
How Safe Spot Works – Faster Incident Reporting on Trains
Safe Spot is available within the Trainline app for iOS and Android, where it provides quick access to:
Emergency contact numbers (999 and 101)
The British Transport Police 61016 text service
A reporting flow with guidance on what information to include
But Safe Spot also does something more – it uses train detection technology from Signalbox to automatically identify which train a passenger is travelling on. This data is included in the first report sent to BTP in the form of a train identification code that’s dervied from the user’s precise location.
Signalbox API uses a snapshot of location data to identify a train. That data is forwarded to BTP’s 61016 service.
Developed with Experts for Safer Rail Travel
Safe Spot was developed in collaboration with the British Transport Police and other organisations focused on improving safety for rail passengers.
As part of the development process, Trainline ran workshops with British Transport Police, Railway Children, Missing People and Samaritans. These sessions helped us understand the different use cases where Safe Spot could make the biggest difference – and to identify one of the key challenges in responding to onboard incidents: quickly and accurately identifying the train a report originates from.
By automatically adding train identification data to incident reports, Safe Spot helps to reduce some of the biggest barriers to reporting – making it quicker and easier for people to log their concerns.
We recognise that we’re part of a much wider network of organisations and people working to keep passengers safe. Safe Spot is one small way we’re contributing to that shared effort.
Now Live in the Trainline App
Safe Spot is now live in the Trainline app and available to anyone travelling on UK rail services. You can find it under the account menu (Account > Help > Safe Spot) or the (?) help button on any screen.
We’ll continue working to improve and expand tools like Safe Spot to support safer train travel – and make it easier for passengers to report incidents.
About Signalbox
Signalbox became part of Trainline in 2023 and is already used to deliver Find My Train functionality, Live Train Maps and, most recently, Safe Spot – which matches a train to an incident report sent to the British Transport Police.