The increase in racial and religious hate crimes on public transport across the UK is alarming, as revealed by recent data from the Guardian. Many community organizations are reporting that individuals are altering their daily commuting habits out of fear of potential abuse or violence.
Police departments nationwide have documented a rise in hate crimes over the past year, with notable spikes in racially motivated incidents in Scotland and an uptick in religious hate crimes directed at Muslims in England and Wales.
Public transportation presents a unique environment where aggressors may feel emboldened, often fueled by alcohol, allowing them to target individuals and quickly exit at the next stop without facing consequences.
Data gathered through a freedom of information request indicates that reported cases of racial hate crimes logged by British Transport Police surged from 2,827 in the 2019-2020 period to 3,258 in 2024-2025. Similarly, religious hate crimes increased from 343 during the same initial period to 419 in 2023-2024, although there was a slight decline to 372 in the following year.
For instance, Courtney, a young woman traveling by train out of Glasgow city center last August, experienced a disturbing encounter when an older woman took a seat across from her. "I wasn’t paying much attention, just listening to music with my earphones in," Courtney recounted. "Suddenly, she started making loud racist comments after putting on a face mask. I was so shocked; you don’t expect such aggression from a stranger."
Courtney, who shares snippets of her life on TikTok, decided to start filming when the elderly woman produced a Dettol disinfectant spray and aimed it in her direction. "At that moment, I felt compelled to document the incident for my own safety
