‘Cab invasions’: Metro Trains beefs up security after passengers break into driver cabins

A growing number of people breaking into train driver cabins and vandalising them has prompted Metro Trains to beef up security.

Train drivers have reported dozens of encounters with people – many of them teenagers – who have broken into empty cabins at the rear of trains this year, according to the drivers’ union, which says it is a serious safety issue.

Metro is trying to make train cabins harder to break into after a rise in “invasions”. Credit: Paul Rovere

The Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) said “cab invasions” involved intruders kicking in or taking the hinges off cabin doors, perpetrators stealing keys or harassing drivers to obtain them, and cabins being vandalised with graffiti.

Intruders generally break into unoccupied cabins at the rear of trains, and drivers come across the aftermath when they switch ends to change the direction of travel.

Metro internal communications seen by The Age show cabin invasions cause delays of 10 to 15 minutes on the network when they are discovered.

Metro’s head of train service, Pip Thomas, told drivers in late October that the company would respond to the increase in cab invasions and coupling riding (riding outside a train), and noted the potential risks to drivers’ safety.

In a letter to staff, seen by The Age, Thomas said Metro had rolled out security upgrades to make it harder for intruders to compromise cabins doors. More extensive upgrades will be installed early next year.

Metro’s security team and Victoria Police recently identified 35 offenders involved in cabin invasions.

“Parents of the offenders have been engaged and penalty and caution notices have been provided to the identified individuals,” Thomas said.

“These efforts have made a significant contribution towards the safety of our drivers, with reports of coupling riding and cab invasions decreasing.”

RTBU Victorian branch secretary Vik Sharma said the union had raised its concern with Metro about the growing frequency of cabin invasions.

“To know that secure and safety critical areas are being breached poses not just a threat to our hardworking drivers but also the wider network and its commuters,” Sharma said.

A Metro Trains spokesperson said its security team were conducting patrols on lines where cab invasions had occurred.

“We’ve worked with Victoria Police to identify offenders of these incidents – primarily occurring in unoccupied rear train cabins – resulting in penalty notices being issued,” they said.

Separate to cabin invasions, there were more than 3000 incidents of trespassing on to the Metro track network in 2023, delaying about 800 trains a month. Metro says trespassing is the single biggest cause of delays on the network.

In October, just over 7 per cent of Metro trains were more than five minutes late and 0.9 per cent were cancelled.

The state government said in June it would install 16 kilometres of new fencing along the Frankston, Dandenong, Sandringham and Mernda lines to stop trespassing.

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