A mother-of-two has said she was left “shaken” after being racially abused by four schoolchildren while travelling on the Elizabeth Line.
Sophia Choudry said she was repeatedly called the P-word during her journey home from an event on September 7, travelling from Paddington to Maidenhead.
In the days following the incident, Ms Choudry said she felt paranoid using public transport — second-guessing every bump or glance, and even crossing the road to avoid people.
“I’m fine now, but I won’t pretend I wasn’t shaken,” she said. “For a week I second-guessed every bump, every look, even crossed the road to avoid people.
“I shared the incident online and since the TikTok went viral, with that came an influx of more racist comments.”
Ms Choudry said the experience had left her “heartbroken” and triggered painful memories of growing up in Sunderland, where she was the “only brown girl” and “suffered racism”.
She said what made the incident even more distressing was the reaction of fellow passengers, who allegedly dismissed the abuse, with some saying: “they’re just kids.”
She told Metro: “‘Those passengers heard what happened and they instantly thought I was the villain, they blamed me.
“Racism is rife at the moment. Those men just didn’t care. They just instantly knew that they didn’t want to help or support me.
“Race crimes are so high at the moment. I am terrified for my children.”
She spoke about the incident again on LBC on Friday.
British Transport Police has confirmed it is investigating the incident and said it takes a “zero tolerance approach to hate crime”.
A TfL spokesperson also said they had a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of abuse and they were investigating why Ms Choudry did not receive the help she needed.
Taking to Instagram today, Ms Choudry said: “The hate is hard to see, but I refuse to let hate live in my heart. I’m choosing love, I have to.
“Because while the hate represents what I am guessing to be 5% of people, 95% of you showed up with empathy, kindness and support that I will never forget and cherish and hold in my heart.
“That’s what I’m holding on to. That’s how I’m moving forward.”
According to the latest TfL figures, reported hate crime incidents increased by nearly 50% on the Elizabeth line last year, and by 28% across the broader London transport network.
A video Ms Choudry posted about the incident has been viewed over two million times on TikTok.
The entrepreneur said she hadn’t had the term directed at her in 25 years.
Ms Choudry also suggested that something appears to have shifted since St George’s Flags began appearing across the UK as part of Operation Raise the Colours.
While there is nothing inherently wrong with displaying national symbols, anti-racism group Hope Not Hate has raised concerns about the campaign’s associations with far-right groups, including Britain First.
The group noted that many of the activities are being coordinated by individuals with known far-right affiliations, prompting alarm over the operation’s underlying motivations.
A spokesperson for British Transport Police said: “Officers received a report around 8pm on Sunday 7 September that a woman had been racially abused by a group of children on an Elizabeth Line train.
“They were reported to have left the train at Hayes and Harlington station and officers have launched a full investigation with enquiries continuing.
“We take a zero tolerance approach to hate crime and anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to text BTP on 61016, or call 0800 40 50 40, using the reference 567 of 7 September.”
