Another serious assault on Southeastern Metro network

Another week and there’s another appeal for help after an assault on the Southeastern Metro network from British Transport Police. This time at Woolwich Arsenal station.

A man on a Southeastern train left a train at Woolwich Arsenal around 11.55am on Friday 10th September and punched a passenger waiting on the platform.

The victim ran while the suspect chased, pulled him to the ground and continued to “punch and kick him in the head and upper body before walking away.”

Police state “The men were not known to each other and the victim attended hospital for treatment to severe facial injuries, including a broken tooth and split lip.”

Southeastern Metro staffing

This is yet another assault on the Southeastern Metro network which has no customer-facing staff on trains and very few at stations.

Last week it was an appeal after a man was attacked on the Sidcup line, and before that in October two serious assaults involving bottles after a group boarded at Slade Green.

There was another appeal in early October after a man was threatened with a knife and robbed after men boarded at Woolwich Dockyard station.

While Woolwich Arsenal is one of few with barriers, the side gate is sometimes left open (it was again when I passed through a couple of days ago) and the main gates are regularly left open in the day, and throughout the evening.

The network has a severe lack of staffing compared to similar networks and franchises which does little for safety or encouraging public transport usage.

At the time of writing, a wide ranging number of Southeastern stations have ticket offices closed. That often means no staff presence at all. For example right now no ticket office is open at Brixton, Erith, Mottingham and even Dartford.

Anyone who can help can text 61016 or call 0800 40 50 50 quoting reference 261 of 10/09/21.

Alternatively, you can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.