Launching 61016 in 2013, BTP was the first police force to offer a non-emergency text service for reporting crime and incidents on the railway.
Many offences that take place on the network can involve victims being in a confined space with their perpetrator and 61016 offers a crucial reporting tool should victims need to contact BTP quickly and discreetly.
BTP took action after receiving complaints about people being charged to text 61016 or being unable to contact BTP due to low or no phone credit.
Earlier this year, BTP Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi wrote to the four major phone networks in the UK, requesting they consider making the 61016 text service free to their customers. Three UK, Vodafone, O2 and EE all pledged to make this change, with the smaller networks starting to follow suit.
BTP Chief Constable Lucy D’Orsi said: “I am incredibly proud of this collaborative piece of work that will support BTP’s mission to protect the rail community and create a hostile environment for crime.
“BTP’s 61016 service is a hugely important crime reporting tool for the most vulnerable who travel and work on the rail network. Now that 61016 is free-to-text, anyone who is a victim of crime can contact BTP immediately, regardless of any restrictions on their phone contract or whether they have phone credit.
“61016 is particularly crucial to women and girls using the rail network and may feel harassed or intimidated. The number of non-contact sexual offences reported to BTP have almost doubled in the last two years, with many of those reports texted via 61016 and where a noticeable 999 call may have escalated the situation.”
Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said: “Violence against women and girls of any kind is completely unacceptable, and everyone should be safe on our transport network.
“This change to the 61016 text service is just one way in which we will achieve this, making it easier to report these crimes, leading to a safer rail network for everyone.”
