What's happened
The Office of Rail and Road has published data showing a sharp rise in assaults on the mainline railway in 2025-26, with 13,464 incidents against passengers and 11,289 against staff. Harassment and common assault have surged, while unions call for more policing and staff. The figures reflect increased reporting and ongoing safety campaigns.
What's behind the headline?
Key takeaways
- Assaults on the public rose 36% to 13,464 in 2025-26, the highest since 2004.
- Rail staff assaults rose 12% to 11,289, with verbal abuse making up the majority.
- Harassment among the public surged by 52%; common assaults by 30%.
- Industry officials say reporting improvements and CCTV/body-worn cameras contribute to rising figures, not just increased violence.
Context and implications
- Unions describe the data as horrendous and demand more staffing and policing, including ending lone working and reversing police funding cuts.
- Regulators emphasise that safeguarding staff is essential and that actions will focus on risk identification, reporting culture, and post-incident support.
- The data underscores ongoing public behaviour issues and the need for policy responses across transport policing and workplace protection.
How we got here
The ORR’s latest release follows five years of rising incidents. Rail workers report violence and harassment, prompting calls for more staffing and stronger policing. The data also notes that multiple counts can occur within a single incident as categories overlap.
Our analysis
The Guardian reports the ORR data highlighting passenger and staff assaults; BBC Business provides breakdowns by category and quotes Richard Hines on industry responses; The Guardian’s union-focused piece includes Eddie Dempsey’s call for more staffing and policing.
Go deeper
- What concrete steps will operators take to reduce violence on trains?
- How will the Rail Safety and Standards Board contribute to protecting frontline staff?
- When will the ORR publish updated figures or impact assessments?
More on these topics
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Office of Rail and Road - Government department
The Office of Rail and Road is a non-ministerial government department responsible for the economic and safety regulation of Britain's railways, and the economic monitoring of Highways England.
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Great Britain - Island in the United Kingdom
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of 209,331 km², it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island, and the ninth-largest island in the world.
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The Guardian - Newspaper
The Guardian is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as The Manchester Guardian, and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers The Observer and The Guardian Weekly, The Guardian is part of the Guardian Media Group, owned by the S