England: fines of up to £100 for loud music on buses, with a campaign on trains too

On 19 October 2026 the UK government presented a package of measures against anti-social behaviour on public transport. It includes fines on buses and a nationwide information campaign for rail passengers.

Fines on buses

On the same day, guidance was published for local authorities, which have new powers to tackle disruptive behaviour on buses. This covers playing loud music, littering, vaping and threatening other people. Such behaviour can result in a fine of up to £100. According to the government's statement and the BBC's report, this applies to buses in England.

Campaign on trains

A campaign under the slogan "share the carriage, not the noise" has been launched for rail passengers. In it, the government draws attention to the phenomenon of "loudcasting", meaning playing music or videos from a phone without headphones.

The campaign is run by the rail industry. It includes, among other things, audio announcements reminding passengers of the rules. If a passenger does not comply with a request from an authorised rail employee, they may be removed from the train at the nearest station or fined up to £1,000.

What the government says

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said in a statement that loud music and videos played from phones can spoil a journey. He stressed that the government wants to remind passengers to use headphones on trains, and is giving local authorities new tools to deal with loud music, vaping and littering on buses.

The statement noted that the vast majority of journeys take place without incident. According to the government, however, anti-social behaviour such as vaping, littering, loud music, videos or shouting spoils the journey for everyone.

What this means for Poles in the UK

The rules apply to every passenger, including people who travel by bus and train in England every day. When travelling, it is worth using headphones for music, videos and video calls. A fine on a bus can be up to £100. On a train, refusing to comply with an instruction from a rail employee can result in removal from the train or a fine of up to £1,000. The sources do not say when individual local authorities will start issuing fines, or how they will be enforced in particular places.