Record number of assaults on Britain’s railways

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There were 13,464 reported assaults against members of the public between April 2025 and March 2026, a 36 per cent rise and the highest since records began in 2004.

Assaults against rail workers rose 12 per cent to 11,289.

TSSA said the figures were “shocking but not surprising,” with general secretary Maryam Eslamdoust saying the union had “warned for many months that violence on the railways is spiralling out of control.

Ms 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 (BTP) to respond to incidents and protect staff and passengers.”

She also called for an end to lone working, and bans for violent offenders, saying: “Rail workers should never be left to face this threat alone.”

RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said the figures were horrendous, with two-thirds of RMT public transport members experiencing violence at work in the past year.

He said: “We are calling for a significant increase in staffing across public transport, including an end to lone working.

“We also clearly need stronger legal protections for public transport workers against assaults at work.

“British Transport Police funding cuts have also been disastrous which has undermined a proper policing presence on all public transport.”

BTP assistant chief constable Ian Drummond-Smith said the force will “never tolerate violence or abuse” and is rolling out body-worn video.

A Department for Transport spokesperson called the rise “deeply concerning,” citing a £63 million increase in BTP funding by 2028/29 and over 200 additional officers.