At least five phones lost per day on South Western Railway network

South Western Railway has revealed that at least five mobile phones have been lost on its network every day since last year

• South Western Railway estimates that the value of phones could exceed £1 million
• Over 600 earphones and AirPods have also been lost on the network since last year
• While most phones are successfully returned to their owners, South Western Railway is reminding customers to register and collect any lost property  

SOUTH Western Railway (SWR) is reminding customers to keep track of their mobile phones, as new data reveals that at least five phones have been lost on its network every day in the last last year. 

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 logged.  

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.

It is estimated that more than 30,000 phones will have been lost since the first iPhone launched in 2007. Lined up end to end, they would stretch over four kilometres. 

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 22 September 2023, SWR has logged almost 22,000 different lost property items.