TSSA calls new railway assault figures - ‘shocking but not surprising’

Rail union TSSA has described as 'shocking but not surprising' new official figures showing a further dramatic escalation in reported assaults against rail workers and passengers. 

According to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) there were 11,289 reported workforce assaults on Britain’s mainline railway network in the period from April 2025 to March 2026. 

That represents a rise of 12 per cent on the previous year. There were also 13,464 reported assaults against passengers and members of the public, an increase of 36 per cent, and the highest number recorded since records began more than twenty years ago. 

TSSA has been at the forefront of a campaign to 'Stop Violence Against Transport Workers' which calls for increased budgets, more policing and the end to lone working.  

Commenting, TSSA General Secretary Maryam Eslamdoust said: "These new figures are shocking but not surprising because we have been warning for many months that violence on the railways is spiraling out of control. 

"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." 

"Bear in mind these are only the instances of reported assaults, the true figure is likely to be far higher. There can be no room at all for those perpetrating any of this behavior."