Two rail workers have lost their jobs after a confrontation with a female commuter at a London station.
The passenger shared a video that has gone viral online, telling of being dubbed a ‘little Karen’ by two men wearing high-vis jackets bearing the name of employers Morson Vital.
The confrontation saw her ejected from a platform at Homerton station in east London on the London Overground, on what is now officially called the Mildmay Line.
The Morson Group, which provides infrastructure, rail, construction and energy projects, said the pair were there to give ‘safeguarding and wellbeing support’.
But they have now been let go, the company today told the Daily Mail – and Transport for London revealed an investigation has been launched, describing the men’s behaviour as ‘not acceptable’.
Footage shared on X, formerly Twitter, showed how two men on the platform wearing Morson Vital-branded jackets instructed a woman to leave.
She is heard saying: ‘You’re not even wearing proper uniform. You’re telling me you’re TfL.’
She accused the men of calling her ‘a little tramp’ and ‘a little Karen’ after being challenged while taking a phone call on her mobile.
A passenger shared a video that has gone viral online, telling of being dubbed a ‘little Karen’ by two men wearing high-vis jackets bearing the name of employers Morson Vital
The confrontation saw a woman told to leave a platform at Homerton station in north-east London on the London Overground – pictured is one of the staff members shown in the clip
She added: ‘You’re telling me you’re going to kick me out? Where’s your ID?
‘You’re calling me names now – calling me Karen.’
The two male employees are seen urging her to leave while tapping their own phones.
Viewers have questioned what duties the pair had and why they were on the platform – before rail bosses told how they were in ‘wellbeing’ roles.
Online poster Donna Louise, sharing the clip, wrote: ‘Well, what do we have here?
‘Two chaps bundled up like they’re on an Arctic expedition, clearly freezing in the middle of a 30-degree heatwave.
‘Hoodies paired with high-vis jackets must really give them that sense of importance.
‘No badges, no uniforms, no official ID, just the sheer brass neck to march up and tell a woman to leave the station.’
The 125-second clip has gone viral online – with critics posting on X in response
Morson Group told the Daily Mail that the two individuals involved were no longer with them
Morson Group previously responded online by saying: ‘We are aware of a video currently circulating on social media relating to an incident at Homerton station in London involving individuals wearing Morson Vital high-visibility clothing.
‘We understand the concern the footage has generated and take matters of this nature extremely seriously. The two individuals identified in the clip have been stood down pending the completion of an investigation.
‘We expect all individuals representing our business to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and respectful conduct at all times.
‘We are continuing to work with the relevant stakeholders to establish the full facts and circumstances surrounding the incident.
‘As enquiries remain ongoing, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this stage.’
Now, in a new statement today, the company told the Mail: ‘We can confirm that two operatives engaged by Morson Vital to provide visible safeguarding and wellbeing support at Homerton Station approached a female commuter who had become animated during a phone conversation on the platform.
‘This was in line with the training we provide to operatives in this role, which involves identifying potentially hazardous behaviours and de-escalating risks to support passenger safety.
‘Since this incident, we have carried out a thorough investigation. Our investigation concluded that the individuals involved did not adhere to their Morson Vital training.
‘It also established that they did not follow strict behavioural standards, and failed to communicate the purpose of their intervention whilst wearing non-compliant uniform, which includes wearing visible ID.
‘As a result, these operatives are no longer engaged by Morson Vital.’
The firm also said it would ‘continue to interact with our operatives in similar roles and regularly conduct management audits to ensure behavioural standards, uniform and ID protocols remain compliant’.
Rory O’Neill, Transport for London’s general manager for London Overground, has also condemned the Morson employees’ approach.
He said: ‘The behaviour seen in this online footage at Homerton station is not acceptable.
‘The individuals involved are employed by Network Rail’s contracted security provider and not by Transport for London.
‘We expect everyone working on the network to act professionally and treat customers with respect at all times.
‘We have raised this matter with Network Rail as a priority and they are investigating.’
British Transport Police said: ‘BTP officers identified and spoke to the woman and the men, however no further action has been taken as the incident did not meet the threshold for a criminal investigation.’
