Passengers travelling through Hitchin on Great Northern and Thameslink services are seeing fewer reported incidents of theft, vandalism and graffiti, according to new figures released by rail operator Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR).

The company, which also operates Southern and Gatwick Express services, says its efforts to tackle antisocial behaviour have helped drive significant reductions in crime across its network.

Bike thefts have seen the biggest improvement, falling by 59% year-on-year, while thefts of passengers' personal belongings have dropped by 35%.

The figures follow the introduction of GTR's Antisocial Behaviour Improvement Plan in 2024, which has seen more enforcement officers deployed at stations and on trains, alongside closer working with British Transport Police (BTP).

Among the initiatives introduced are 'Cycle Surgeries', run in partnership with BTP, which provide commuters with crime prevention advice and free security marking for bicycles.

The marking involves adding a permanent, unique identification code to bikes, making them easier to trace and recover if stolen.

The operator has also reported significant reductions in vandalism and graffiti.

Incidents of vandalism and criminal damage fell by almost a third, from 306 to 209, while reports of graffiti and etching dropped by 41%, from 252 to 147.

As part of its improvement plan, GTR committed to doubling the number of Travel Safe Officers (TSOs) working across its network.

There are now 110 officers deployed at stations and on trains, working alongside Rail Enforcement Officers to reassure passengers and deter criminal activity.

Their increased presence at ticket barriers has also helped reduce incidents of so-called 'push throughs', where fare evaders force their way through gates behind paying passengers.

GTR says these incidents have fallen by as much as 80% in some areas.

While the figures cover GTR's wider network rather than Hitchin station specifically, the improvements will be welcomed by passengers using the town's rail connections to London, Cambridge and beyond.

Jenny Saunders, GTR's Customer Service Director, said: "We're serious about tackling antisocial behaviour of any kind across our network because we know how upsetting these crimes can be.

"Whilst these reductions are encouraging and show that our targeted action is making a difference, we know there is still a long way to go.

"I want to thank our colleagues who work tirelessly every day to make our network safe and would encourage customers to continue reporting crime and antisocial behaviour on our network, so we can work together to keep these numbers moving in the right direction."

GTR is encouraging passengers to continue reporting incidents of crime and antisocial behaviour to help maintain the downward trend.