Acton Town Tops Borough's Table for Tube Station Crime
Figures show that the Central Line has the highest level of offending
Acton Town station platform. Picture: Matt Buck
June 18, 2025
New figures obtained by a Freedom of Information request show that Acton Town is the London Underground station with the highest level of crime in the borough of Ealing.
There were 59 reports of offences at the station in 2023/24, the latest year for which these numbers are available. This puts it ahead of North Acton with 44 crimes and Greenford with 32.
The figures obtained by Sexual Abuse Compensation Advice do not include stations such as Ealing Broadway which also cater to mainline train services and are owned by Network Rail.
According to Transport for London’s (TfL) most recent report, tube crime as a whole went up by 13 per cent last year, with the largest number of these offences being committed on the Central line.
In 2023, TfL logged 3 sex crimes at tube stations in Ealing, and a year later, this number increased to 5 sex crimes.
As part of this rise, there were more than 2,000 sexual offences on the network reported to the police last year, with TfL explaining how this rise was accompanied by an increase in “bystander intervention” by passengers.
The increased number of reports can also be attributed to more awareness campaigns, as well as the British Transport Police (BTP) now recording offences such as intrusive staring and verbal harassment.
Picture: SexualAbuseCompensationAdvice.co.uk
BTP Detective Chief Inspector Nia Mellor said, "Tackling sexual offences is our top priority at British Transport Police, and we take every report of sexual harassment or violence extremely seriously.
"We know that these crimes commonly go underreported, which is why we relentlessly campaign to encourage witnesses and victims to report these offences to us. With this, we expect the number of reports to continue to rise.
“We view this increase as a positive sign that our efforts are paying off, and that women and girls are feeling more confident to report all forms of sexual harassment and violence to us.”
Transport for London says that theft is the most common crime on London’s transport network, making up for 60 per cent of recorded offences on the tubes and 40 per cent at stations.
Violence in particular has seen a drastic rise over the past few years, as, in 2023, there were 3,542 violent offences, which was 20 per cent higher than the previous year. These increases were in line with the return of passenger numbers following the pandemic.
Under-reporting of sexual harassment has been identified which makes it hard for law enforcement to intervene.
Detective Chief Inspector Nia Mellor added "We are working tirelessly to stamp out this unacceptable behaviour. We have patrols of uniformed and specially trained plain clothes officers to catch offenders and reassure passengers as they travel.
"Each report we receive provides us with valuable information which we can use to build a picture of an offender. Often it allows us to notice a pattern of offending behaviour so we can take action.
“If you experience or witness sexual harassment or a sexual offence, we urge you to report it to us by texting 61016 or calling 0800 405040. In an emergency, always dial 999."
Sexual Abuse Compensation Advice provides expert claim and legal advice services for sexual abuse claims.
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