Bus passengers who vape, drop litter or play loud music could face fines of up to £100 under new guidance issued by the government.

The Department for Transport has also launched a campaign urging rail passengers to “share the carriage, not the noise”, aimed at people playing music or videos aloud on trains, known as “loudcasting”.

Guidance has been issued to local authorities in England to help them use new powers to deal with loud music, littering, vaping and threatening behaviour on buses. The powers came into force on 5 August 2026 under the Bus Services Act 2025.

Authorised officers, including Transport Safety Officers and the police, will be responsible for enforcement. They will follow a three-step approach: engaging with the person, explaining the rules and their impact on other passengers and taking enforcement action if they refuse to comply.

On the railways, the campaign will include audio reminders of the rules. Passengers who refuse to stop when asked by authorised rail staff can be removed from the train at the next station or face fines of up to £1,000.

The “share the carriage, not the noise” campaign will run across publicly owned operators and those contracted by the DfT, including Great Western Railway, East Midlands Railway, Avanti West Coast and CrossCountry.

Andy Burnham said: “We’ve all been on the train when someone starts blasting music or videos from their phone. It gets on your nerves and can quickly spoil the journey.

“So, we’re launching a nationwide campaign reminding passengers to use headphones on trains. On top of that, we’re giving local leaders new powers to tackle loud music, vaping and littering on buses.

“It’s a simple thing, but one that will make journeys that little bit better for all of us.”

Transport secretary Heidi Alexander said: “It is so frustrating when the actions of an inconsiderate few spoil journeys for the rest of us, whether that is vaping, littering or blasting music out loud. Even small changes in behaviour can make a massive difference to people’s experience on public transport.

“That’s why we’re empowering local leaders to shape bus services around the needs of their communities and taking advantage of publicly owned Train Operating Companies to encourage people to be considerate of others on public transport and reminding them of the potential consequences if they aren’t.”

Richard Parker, the mayor of the West Midlands, said the guidance would let local leaders “go further with our commitment to making every journey quieter, cleaner and safer for all”.

Richard Holden, the shadow transport secretary, said: “Finally, Labour are finally catching up with the Conservatives on issues passengers really care about.

“After we led the charge against antisocial behaviour on public transport last summer, ministers have worked out that nobody wants to endure pounding techno or blaring hip hop on a packed train or bus.”