Share the carriage, not the noise: £100 bus fines and a national campaign against loudcasting on trains
A national rail campaign will tell passengers to use headphones, with removal from the train or fines of up to £1,000 for those who refuse to stop. New guidance also supports fixed penalties of up to £100 for loud music, littering, vaping and threatening behaviour on buses in England.
Passengers who play music or videos out loud on trains are the target of a national campaign launched on Monday, on the same day as the Government issued guidance supporting fines of up to £100 for nuisance behaviour on buses in England.
The campaign's message to passengers is simple: “share the carriage, not the noise”. It will include audio reminders of the rules already in place on the rail network. Most operators will carry the same message on their websites, on social media, in carriages and at stations, with posters and announcements, replacing the patchwork of separate campaigns run by individual operators. A passenger who refuses to stop when asked by authorised rail staff can be put off the train at the next station, or prosecuted and fined up to £1,000.
The Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, said: “We’ve all been on the train when someone starts blasting music or videos from their phone. It gets on your nerves and can quickly spoil the journey.” He said: “So we’re launching a nationwide campaign reminding passengers to use headphones on trains. On top of that, we’re giving local leaders new powers to tackle loud music, vaping and littering on buses.” He added: “It’s a simple thing, but one that will make journeys that little bit better for all of us.”
We’ve all been on the train when someone starts blasting music or videos from their phone. It gets on your nerves and can quickly spoil the journey.Andy Burnham, Prime Minister, 19 October 2026
On buses, guidance issued on Monday sets out how local transport authorities in England can make and enforce byelaws against loud music, littering, vaping and threatening behaviour, including fixed penalties of up to £100 for those who cause trouble. The powers were made possible by the Bus Services Act 2025, and the legal power for all local transport authorities in England to set their own local rules came into force on 5 August 2026. The Secretary of State must approve every new byelaw before it takes effect, and the guidance published on Monday covers both making byelaws and enforcing them.
Bus drivers will not be responsible for enforcement. Authorised officers, including transport safety officers and the police, will deal with incidents in three steps: speaking to the person first, explaining the rules and what they mean for fellow passengers, and taking enforcement action where someone will not comply. The Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said: “It is so frustrating when the actions of an inconsiderate few spoil journeys for the rest of us, whether that is vaping, littering or blasting music out loud. Even small changes in behaviour can make a massive difference to people’s experience on public transport.”
Richard Parker, the Mayor of the West Midlands, welcomed the guidance, saying: “People travelling across our region deserve to feel comfortable, respected, and most importantly, safe.” Ben Plowden, the chief executive of Campaign for Better Transport, said antisocial behaviour such as noisy phone use was “not just irritating” and could be “a real deterrent to people using public transport, especially people with different accessibility requirements”.
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