Brits say £28 is a fair fine for playing music on trains as Government launches crackdown

New research reveals almost half of passengers support fines for playing music without headphones, while others want penalties for putting feet on seats, leaving litter and making loud phone calls.

• 48.8% of UK rail passengers support fines for playing music or videos aloud without headphones.

• Passengers who support penalties believe £27.83 is a fair fine for the behaviour.

• More than half (57.7%) want passengers fined for putting their feet on seats, while 39.8% support fines for loud phone calls.

• In London, 46% admit to listening to audio without headphones, despite 61% believing it is never acceptable.

As the Government announces a crackdown on antisocial behaviour on public transport, research commissioned by Japanese train ticket provider JRPass.com (https://www.jrpass.com/) reveals how much British passengers believe offenders should be fined for some of the most frustrating habits on trains.

The survey found that 48.8% of respondents supported fines for playing music or videos without headphones. Among those who favoured penalties, the average suggested fine was just £27.83.

The findings suggest that public opinion is divided over whether playing audio aloud should result in financial punishment, even as the Government looks to tackle inconsiderate behaviour across the transport network.

Revealed: The train behaviours Brits want to see fined

The research also asked passengers which other examples of poor train etiquette should be punishable by a fine, revealing considerable support for penalties beyond playing music aloud.

Leaving litter or food packaging behind attracted particularly strong support, followed by putting feet on seats and consuming alcohol.

Behaviour | Percentage supporting a fine

Leaving litter or food packaging behind | 75.3%

Putting feet on seats | 57.7%

Consuming alcohol | 52.1%

Playing music or videos without headphones | 48.8%

Blocking doors or standing in doorways | 47.4%

Placing bags on seats when others are standing | 45.7%

Making loud phone calls | 39.8%

Eating hot or strong-smelling food | 32.7%

While playing music without headphones is at the centre of the latest Government announcement, the results suggest passengers are even more frustrated by other behaviours that can make journeys unpleasant.

More than three-quarters support fines for leaving litter behind, while almost six in ten believe putting feet on seats should carry a financial penalty.

Even relatively everyday habits, such as eating strong-smelling food or having loud telephone conversations, attracted support for fines from around a third or more of respondents.

How much do passengers think bad train etiquette should cost?

As well as identifying which behaviours should attract penalties, the research asked respondents who supported fines how much they believed offenders should pay.

The findings revealed that passengers generally favoured relatively modest financial penalties.

Behaviour | Average suggested fine

Playing music or videos without headphones | £27.83

Making loud phone calls | £26.67

Eating hot or strong-smelling food | £27.32

The average suggested fine for playing audio without headphones was less than £30, despite the possibility of substantially higher court-imposed penalties under existing railway rules.

However, the research also revealed differences in how severely passengers wanted offenders punished.

Among those supporting fines for playing music aloud, 31.3% favoured a penalty of £10 or less, while 22% believed a fine of between £11 and £20 was appropriate. A further 14.7% supported fines of between £21 and £30, while a smaller proportion favoured penalties exceeding £100.

The results suggest that although many passengers are frustrated by headphone-free listening, there is no clear consensus on how harshly it should be punished.

A renewed debate over fines on public transport

The latest announcement has brought fresh attention to the issue of inconsiderate passengers, particularly those who play music or videos aloud in shared spaces.

However, the JRPass findings indicate that attitudes towards fines vary considerably depending on the behaviour involved.

While leaving litter and putting feet on seats attracted majority support for financial penalties, fewer than half of respondents believed playing music without headphones should be punishable by a fine.

The findings also suggest that passengers distinguish between behaviour they find irritating and behaviour they believe warrants financial punishment.

With public transport operators and authorities facing pressure to improve the passenger experience, the research provides an insight into which behaviours travellers would most like to see addressed.

ENDS

Methodology

Research was commissioned by JRPass and conducted between 15 and 17 December 2025 among UK respondents who had travelled by train or Tube in the previous six months.

The survey asked respondents about their experiences of poor train etiquette, behaviours they considered unacceptable, whether particular habits should attract fines and the amounts they believed would be reasonable.

The published survey tables include 1,343 responses for the questions relating to support for fines. Suggested fine amounts are based on respondents who supported a penalty for each respective behaviour, using the averages supplied in the survey report.

The research was originally conducted in December 2025 and is being revisited following the Government's October 2026 announcement.

About JRPass.com (https://www.jrpass.com/)

The seeds of JRPass (https://www.jrpass.com/) were planted more than 15 years ago when three friends backpacked across Japan with their Japan Rail Passes. After falling in love with the country, they launched JRPass.com to make traveling around Japan easier and more accessible for international visitors. Today, JRPass.com helps travelers explore Japan by rail through Japan Rail Passes, regional passes and individual train tickets, alongside expert travel advice and essential services for arrival and connectivity. Their years of experience and customer-focused approach have helped establish JRPass as the No.1 destination for Japan travel. JRPass supports international rail travel planning and regularly advises travelers on rail etiquette and practical train travel.