Figures released by the Office of Rail and Road last month have revealed that the number of reported assaults on Great Britain’s railways has risen by a fifth to a record high of almost 25,000 incidents in a year.
While the total numbers reported covers all types of abuse, including verbal, nearly 2,500 physical assaults on workers were reported – which is an average of around seven per day.
The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) and the Transport Salaried Staff’s Association (TSSA) have campaigned for more staffed stations and policing, after the number of British Transport Police (BTP) officers fell by more than 10% between 2024 and 2026.
Many rail staff wear body cams to record and log incidents of violence, with a rail worker from the south-west of England telling the Guardian that the number of threats, abuse and violence he witnesses is “off the scale” after working in the industry for over 20 years.
Rail staff are not the only transport workers who are victims of violence from members of the public. Bus drivers also face repeated abuse and threats, according to Unite the union, and Transport for London staff working on roads are issued with or forensic saliva collection tubes as that form of assault is so common.