Five Mobile Phones a Day Left on Local Train Network
South Western says value of lost devices exceeds £1million in a year
A pile of lost mobile phones in front of the clock at Waterloo. Picture: SWR
September 19, 2024
South Western Railway (SWR) has released new data on the number of mobile phones that are being left on its trains by passengers.
The train company is hoping to encourage people to be more careful with their belongings by publishing the statistics on the day before the release of the iPhone 16 (Friday 20 September). Its statistics show that an average of 5 phones a day have been lost since the launch of the iPhone 15 a year ago.
In total, over 1,750 phones have been logged by SWR’s lost property team since 22 September 2023. In the same period, over 600 earphones have also been recorded as being found on its trains.
However, the true number of lost devices is likely to be significantly higher, as not all lost property is handed in and not all customers report their devices as missing.
Losing a mobile phone, a source of anxiety known as ‘nomophobia’ (NO MObile PHone PhoBIA), can also be expensive.
SWR estimates that the value of phones lost on its network in the past year may well exceed £1 million and with the new range starting at £799, it is a concern that that figure could rise.
It is estimated that more than 30,000 phones will have been lost since the first iPhone launched in 2007. SWR says that lined up end to end, they would stretch over four kilometres – more than the distance between Vauxhall and Clapham Junction stations in London.
Phones are one of the most frequently lost items on the SWR network, along with clothing, bags, wallets and glasses. Overall, in the period since the release of iPhone 15 on 22 September 2023, SWR has logged almost 22,000 different lost property items. Out of more than 1,750 phones handed into lost property since last year, just under 1,000 have been successfully returned to their owners, leaving a sizeable number unclaimed.
Jerome Pacatte, Head of Stations and Revenue Protection for South Western Railway, commented, “Losing a phone or any other personal belonging during a journey can cause stress and anxiety, but our lost property team works incredibly hard to reunite customers with the hundreds of items lost on our network every week.
“While it might feel impossible to get your lost property back, we successfully return many items to their owners, so we strongly encourage customers who have lost something to get in touch with us.
“To end every journey on a positive note, we advise customers to take some time before reaching their destination to double-check they have everything.”
SWR advises passengers to take some time before they reach their destination to ensure they have all their belongings, including checking all their pockets as well as on and under their seat.
If you lose your phones or any other personal belongings during your journeys you should register them via the SWR website. If the item is handed in, you will be able to collect it in person for free or pay to have it posted to you. If customers you think you have lost something, noting the time of the train and the carriage number will help the lost property team locate your item.
Lost property from across the network is retained at the SWR lost property office in London Waterloo station for three months, after which it can be donated to charity, sold, recycled or otherwise disposed of.
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