RAIL bosses have kick-started a scheme in East Lancashire which will enable concerned passengers to discretely blow the whistle on train troublemakers.

Transport police are giving commuters the opportunity to text reports of rowdy passengers, or vandalism incidents on the Clitheroe to Darwen or Blackburn to Colne lines, through a handy text service.

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Sgt David Grant has used the launch of the new Blackburn to Manchester route, via Accrington and Burnley Manchester Road, which will see train traffic increase by a third, to introduce the idea to passengers.

He said: “It is a really good system – those who are causing the trouble don’t know that people are doing it and we can be made aware of what is going on across the network.

“Sometimes people don’t want to be seen calling us up in case it gets them into trouble as well. But with the text number you don’t have to be seen talking and we can help.”

Sgt Grant, who is based at Preston railway station but covers the Blackburn, Burnley and Accrington areas, handed out credit card style reminders to dozens of passengers on the initial services across the Todmorden Curve to Manchester.

One passenger who had seen the system in action close up, Anthony Roberts, 49, of Mill Hill, was full of praise for the early warning initiative.

He said: “There were some people kicking off on the train, late at night, and it was definitely a bit of a worry. No-one really wanted to say anything but it was very uncomfortable for everyone else on board.

“But one of the passengers had used the text service to warn the transport police what was going on and they were able to send out officers to meet the train at Accrington station.”

The new text service can be reached by passengers on 61016. Transport police are still requesting that anyone who spots a genuine emergency to call them on 999.