Transport for London (TfL) is trialling virtual reality (VR) headsets at Euston Station to teach commuters how to intervene safely in hate crime incidents as an 'active bystander'. The initiative comes after a 36% rise in hate crime offences on the network between January and August 2026 compared with the same period the previous year, and follows concerns about underreporting.
VR scenarios simulate hate crimes
For hate crime awareness week, TfL set up two VR scenarios: one involving a hate crime against a disabled person, and another based on race and faith. Users are placed in familiar settings, such as bus stops and Charing Cross Station, and guided through uncomfortable situations many commuters have faced as bystanders or victims.
Emma Croxall, head of safeguarding at TfL, said crimes are underreported on the network, but the organisation is seeing a spike in hate crime incidents. She told Metro: 'We always see an increase surrounding international events. At the moment, we are seeing a lot of faith-based incidents, and we want people to know what to do and how to report this to us.'
One user, Shuqi Zhou, described the VR experience as 'very clear on how to follow', adding: 'It feels really realistic with all the familiar settings like the bus stops, and even Charing Cross Station.'
Acting like a friend vs intervening
The simulation pauses halfway through and offers two choices: 'Act Like a Friend' or intervene. Selecting 'Act Like a Friend' is presented as the safest option, where users wait for the perpetrators to move on, note their appearance, comfort the victims, and report the incident. Intervening is discouraged, as the perpetrators turn on the user with aggression before raising a fist to throw a punch as the scene ends.
The VR headset also includes a sexual harassment scenario set on the Piccadilly Line, where a man stares at the user intrusively. Another passenger offers assistance, and users can choose for them to 'act like a friend' or stay back. Staying back involves noting the time, station, and the man's appearance to report later, while acting like a friend sees the passenger physically intervene and chat about 'working in the office together'.
Concerns over effectiveness
London TravelWatch estimates that only two out of five victims of crime on public transport actually report what happened to them. While the VR training is a worthy cause, it does not address the number of uninvestigated reports, the lack of functioning CCTV on transport, or the lack of convictions for perpetrators. It also remains unclear how many commuters will stop to spend five minutes using VR goggles in a busy transport hub.
