Stories

Thu, 24 Sep 2026

Thu, 24 Sep 2026 Reported assaults on Britain's rail services rise by more than a third

Recorded incidents of violence and harassment against passengers and rail workers showed a sharp increase in the year to March.

* Reported assaults up by 36% compared to the previous year
* A total of 13,464 assaults against passengers and members of the public recorded on Britain's mainline railway
* Harassment increased by 52% compared to the previous year
* Common assaults rose by 30% Additionally, there were:
* 11,289 reported assaults against members of the workforce on the mainline railway, up 12% compared to the previous year
* 2,487 physical assaults and 6,390 incidents involving verbal abuse among staff reports The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is working with the industry to address the problem, and Transport for London has implemented measures such as deploying body-worn cameras. The RMT union is calling for increased staffing on public transport, including an end to lone working, and stronger legal protections for workers against assaults at work.