Reported assaults on Britain's railways have reached their highest level since records began, with nearly 25,000 incidents recorded in the year to March 2026. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) reported 13,464 violent incidents and harassment cases against passengers and members of the public on the mainline railway, marking a 36% surge, while assaults against railway workers rose 12% to 11,289 reported incidents. The figures have prompted unions to call for increased staffing, stronger legal protections, and enhanced policing across the network.
The scale of the increase reflects both genuine deterioration in safety conditions and improved reporting practices. The railway industry has been running awareness campaigns for several years to encourage staff and passengers to document incidents that previously may have gone unreported. However, harassment incidents jumped by 52% year-on-year and common assaults rose by 30%, suggesting a real escalation in violence across the network.
Railway workers have faced a particularly significant rise in violent encounters. Of the 11,289 reported assaults against mainline railway staff, 2,487 were physical assaults—an average of about seven every day—while more than half, 6,390 incidents, involved verbal abuse, with the remainder classified as threats. The ORR noted that workforce assaults are now recorded even if no physical injury occurs, which partly explains the increase, though the underlying trend remains concerning.
What are unions saying about the figures?
Trade unions have described the figures as "horrendous" and called for urgent action. Eddie Dempsey, general secretary of a rail union, said the numbers chimed with the union's own surveys showing two-thirds of its members had experienced some form of violence at work in the past year. He called for a significant increase in staffing across public transport, including an end to lone working, and stronger legal protections for public transport workers against assaults. Dempsey also highlighted the impact of British Transport Police funding cuts, saying they have "undermined a proper policing presence on all public transport."
How are rail operators and regulators responding?
Richard Hines, the ORR's chief inspector of railways, outlined the regulator's approach:
"The increase in reported assaults is concerning. 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."
A spokesperson for Network Rail and train operators said: "Violence, abuse and intimidation directed at passengers or staff are completely unacceptable. The rail industry works closely with British Transport Police to investigate incidents, support victims and bring offenders to justice." They noted that the figures also reflected greater intelligence sharing, improved reporting processes, and more CCTV and body-worn cameras for frontline staff.
Some operators are already implementing targeted measures. According to the ORR's annual report on London St Pancras Highspeed, that station reported an 11% reduction in workplace violence incidents compared with the previous year, even as the wider rail industry saw staff assaults increase. The station had introduced a System Workplace Violence Reduction Strategy in response to the problem earlier in 2026.
How widespread is the problem across Britain's railways?
Violence is a systemic challenge across Britain's railways, extending beyond mainline services. London Underground recorded 5,534 reported assaults on passengers and the public, a 20% year-on-year rise, indicating that the problem affects multiple parts of the transport network. The ORR report noted that the headline numbers of reported assaults can include multiple counts in a single incident, for example for both harassment and common assault, while on the London Underground, where there is single counting, the number of assaults on the workforce fell slightly last year.
The abuse and intimidation faced by frontline staff on the railways mirrors broader challenges in other sectors. Similar patterns have been observed in retail and in the NHS, where violence against staff has become an increasing concern.
What guidance has been issued?
The ORR published guidance on 23 July 2026 setting out employers' legal duties to protect rail workers from violence and harassment. The guidance clarifies the regulatory expectations for operators and establishes a framework for reducing incidents through better risk assessment, control measures, and support for affected staff. Mark Phillips, chief executive of the Rail Safety and Standards Board, said the rail industry was taking action to better protect staff, but the figures "underline the need for a change in public behaviour and greater respect for the people who keep the railway running safely every day".
What happens next?
The ORR will continue its scrutiny of railway safety and workforce violence over the coming year as part of its wider oversight of the sector. The regulator has signalled that it will maintain pressure on the industry to implement effective controls and demonstrate measurable progress in reducing both passenger and staff assaults.
Key Facts
- Nearly 25,000 assaults were reported across Britain's railways in the year to March 2026, comprising 13,464 incidents against passengers and the public on the mainline railway (up 36%) and 11,289 against railway workers (up 12%)
- Harassment incidents rose 52% and common assaults increased 30% year-on-year on the mainline railway
- Of assaults against railway workers, 2,487 were physical assaults—averaging about seven per day—6,390 involved verbal abuse, and 2,412 were threats
- London Underground recorded 5,534 reported assaults on passengers and the public, a 20% year-on-year rise
- The ORR published new guidance on 23 July 2026 clarifying employers' legal duties to protect workers from violence and harassment
