Train conductor suffers facial injury during assault in Lisburn

A video posted online on Friday showed a uniformed train conductor being assisted by passengers as he attempted to stem the flow of blood from a facial injury.

Passengers encouraged the injured employee to sit down before providing some basic first aid.

The conductor can be heard complaining that the assailant had spat on him prior to the assault which took place at lunchtime on Friday.

Translink said it will work closely with the PSNI, and that the injured employee will be “provided with the appropriate level of support and care”.

The spokesperson said: “The safety of our staff and passengers is our top priority.

“All our staff have the right to work without fear of abuse or violence.

“We condemn all instances of anti-social behaviour and have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to anyone who physically or verbally threatens or abuses our staff.

“We work closely with the PSNI, including their dedicated Safe Transport Team, to reduce and prevent acts of anti-social behaviour.”

The Translink spokesperson added: “We utterly condemn this incident, and we will use our on board CCTV plus witness statements to bring the perpetrators to justice.

“We would encourage any witnesses to this assault to contact us directly on 02890 666630 or by email: [email protected].

“A reward of up to £1,000 is available to anyone who gives evidence in court, leading to a successful conviction”.

The PSNI said a 31-year-old man has been arrested and questioned about the incident, but has since been released pending further enquiries.

“A man has been arrested following an assault on a train at 12.20pm on Friday,” a spokeswoman said.

“Police received a report that a member of staff had been assaulted on the train within the Bachelors Walk area of Lisburn,

“Officers attended the scene along with colleagues from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service.

“We are appealing to anyone who may have any information which could assist, or who noticed any suspicious activity in the area, to call us on 101 and quote reference number 773 of 29/07/22.”