Violence Incidents in British Railway Services Increased

Violence incidents in British railway services have shown a significant increase over the past year. According to data from the railway regulatory body, the number of reported attacks reached 13,464, marking a 36% increase compared to 2025. This is the highest figure recorded since 2004.

The office stated that this data is "concerning" and expressed that they are working to address this issue in collaboration with stakeholders in the sector. Reports indicate that not only physical and verbal assaults have increased, but incidents of sexual harassment have also risen by 52%. Overall assaults have increased by 30%. This rise coincided with an increase in incidents over the past five years and awareness-raising campaigns.

In the railway sector, the number of reported attacks on the workforce was recorded as 11,289, which means a 12% increase. Of these incidents, 2,487 were classified as physical assaults, while 6,390 were verbal harassments. Railway inspector Richard Hines noted that efforts are ongoing to identify risks and establish effective control mechanisms by collaborating on violence and harassment in the sector.

The relevant data covers mainline railway services in England, Scotland, and Wales, but does not include Northern Ireland. In the London Underground, reported attacks increased by 20% to reach 5,534, while there was a 3% decrease in attacks on the workforce.

The RMT union, representing railway workers, stated that their data also aligns with this increase, emphasizing the need to increase staff numbers in public transport services and to end solitary working. The union called for stronger legal protections for public transport workers. Additionally, they described the cuts in funding for British Transport Police as "disastrous," stating that security and inspection personnel need to be brought into internal service.

Source: BBC Business