'Repeatedly called P-word': South Asian entrepreneur Sophia Choudry says she was racially abused by children on London train

Sophia K Choudry (Image: Screengrab/@bbclondon | Instagram)

A South Asian entrepreneur has spoken out about a distressing experience of racial abuse on a London train, saying she was left “heartbroken” not only by the actions of the children involved but also by the indifference of other passengers, reported News18.

Sophia K Choudry, the founder of the viral kitchenware brand Rotibox, was travelling on the Elizabeth line from Paddington to Maidenhead on September 7 when four children began hurling a racist slur at her — the “P-word", she told BBC.

“I was shocked and angry about the children’s reaction but the adults’ reactions are what broke me and brought me to tears,” Choudry told the BBC. She recalled how some fellow commuters looked the other way while one passenger dismissed her completely, responding “so what?” after she told him she had been racially abused, the report said.

Choudry activated the emergency alarm and contacted the police, but the children managed to get off at Hayes and Harlington station before any officers arrived. She continued her journey to Slough, where her husband collected her. British Transport Police later explained that officers were attending another emergency at the time and could not meet her at the station.

Initially, Choudry was told the case had been closed due to a lack of evidence. However, after she submitted a full statement and shared video footage of the incident, the investigation was reopened. The clip, filmed on her phone, shows the children covering their faces once they realised they were being recorded. It has since gone viral on TikTok, amassing over two million views.

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Transport for London issued an apology and confirmed it was looking into why Choudry had not received proper support. Both TfL and the British Transport Police reiterated that they operate under a zero-tolerance stance toward hate crime.

Reflecting on the incident, Choudry said the ordeal stirred up painful memories of her childhood in Sunderland, where she was often the only brown student in her classroom and faced racism growing up.

Even so, she stressed that she refuses to let this episode define her outlook. “I want to focus on the 95% [of people] who are showing love and support,” she said. “Because if I don’t focus on them I’ll never leave the house again.”