Record assaults on passengers and public on Britain’s railways

Assaults on passengers and other members of the public on Britain’s railways have hit a record high, figures show.There were 13,464 reported assaults against people who are not part of the railway workforce between April 2025 and March 2026 on mainline services, data published on Thursday by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) revealed.This was an increase of 36% compared with the previous year, the highest number since the ORR began recording the data in 2004, with harassment and common assault making up the majority of incidents, the ORR said.On the London Underground network, the number of reported assaults on the public and passengers climbed to 5,534, representing a 20% rise since the previous year.Assaults against rail workers on mainline networks also increased by 12% compared with the previous year, to a total of 11,289, according to the data.This included 6,390 incidents of verbal abuse, 2,487 physical assaults and 2,412 threats.There were 3,525 reported assaults on the London Underground workforce, a decrease of 3% from the previous year.The figures come after industry-wide campaigns have aimed at increasing awareness of violence and abuse on public transport, with the public and staff encouraged to report such incidents.The Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) said the new figures were “shocking but not surprising” and that the union had been “warning for many months that violence on the railways is spiralling out of control”.British Transport Police assistant chief constable Ian Drummond-Smith said the force will “never tolerate violence or abuse” directed at railway staff or passengers.He said: “We’re tireless in our efforts to identify offenders and put them before the courts.“Our officers are on the railway every day, carrying out high-visibility patrols and intelligence-led operations targeting key locations to deter crime and protect those both travelling and working on the network.“We are supporting the railway in rolling out body-worn video (BWV) to frontline rail workers.“This is working well, and where we have body-worn recording, we bring the offender to justice in around 85% of all incidents.”Read MoreThe TSSA union’s general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust said: “The Government must restore and increase the transport budget so the railway has the resources to tackle this violence.“That must include greater funding for British Transport Police to respond to incidents and protect staff and passengers.“Train operating companies must end lone working practices that leave staff vulnerable.“They must also be prepared to ban people who commit violence from the transport network.“Rail workers should never be left to face this threat alone.”The TSSA union called for greater funding for British Transport Police (PA)PA ArchiveRichard Hines, ORR’s chief inspector of railways, said the increase in assault reports was “concerning”.He said: “No-one on the railway should be subjected to violence, threats or abuse.“We’re working with industry and our trade union colleagues to address work-related violence and harassment, including through recent guidance which sets out what we expect from rail employers.“This includes understanding where the risks are, putting effective controls in place, encouraging staff to report incidents and providing appropriate support afterwards.“Our inspectors will continue to check how these risks are being managed.”Mark Phillips, Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) chief executive, said: “The rail industry continues to take action to better protect staff, but these figures underline the need for a change in public behaviour and greater respect for the people who keep the railway running safely every day.”A spokesperson on behalf of Network Rail, the Rail Delivery Group and DfT Operator Limited said “everyone deserves to feel safe on the rail network”.They added: “Across the railway, we’re working together to reduce risk and prevent harm.“This includes greater intelligence sharing, improved reporting processes, enhanced CCTV capabilities and the deployment of more than 24,000 body-worn cameras for frontline staff.“While Britain’s railway remains one of the safest in Europe, we know there is more to do and will continue working together to make the network as safe as possible for everyone.”A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “The rise in assaults on the railway is deeply concerning and completely unacceptable.“No passenger or rail worker should face violence, threats or abuse, and we encourage anyone affected to report incidents to the police.“The Government and rail industry are taking this extremely seriously, with a £63 million increase in British Transport Police funding by 2028/29, which will see over 200 additional officers recruited.“We’re also investing in enhanced station CCTV connectivity, greater use of body-worn video, and new measures to tackle and ban repeat offenders from the railway.”Assistant chief constable Drummond-Smith added: “Anyone who witnesses violence or abuse on the railway should report it to us by texting 61016, or call 999 in an emergency.”