More than 5,500 London Tube assaults were recorded in a single year, official figures have revealed, as attacks on Underground passengers rose by nearly a fifth.
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) said 5,534 assaults on passengers and members of the public were reported on the Tube between April 2025 and March 2026 — a 20 per cent increase on the previous year. Harassment and common assault made up the bulk of the incidents.
The total is equivalent to around 15 reported attacks every day across the network. The figures cover incidents reported to the authorities rather than cases that went on to result in charges or convictions, which typically account for a smaller share of recorded offences.
The surge on the Underground forms part of a wider wave of violence across Britain’s railways. Assaults on mainline passengers hit a record 13,464 over the same period, according to the ORR — up 36 per cent year on year and the highest number since records began in 2004.
Rail workers have also faced growing hostility. Attacks on mainline staff climbed 12 per cent to 11,289, including 6,390 incidents of verbal abuse, 2,487 physical assaults and 2,412 threats. On the Tube, however, reported assaults on staff fell by three per cent to 3,525.
The Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) described the figures as “shocking but not surprising”, warning that violence on the railways was “spiralling out of control”.
Maryam Eslamdoust, the union’s general secretary, said: “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.”
She called on train operating companies to end lone working, which she said leaves staff vulnerable, and to ban people who commit violence from the transport network. “Rail workers should never be left to face this threat alone,” she added.
British Transport Police said officers were working tirelessly to identify offenders and put them before the courts. The force, which has recently stepped up patrols at major stations including King’s Cross St Pancras, carries out high-visibility patrols and intelligence-led operations at key locations, assistant chief constable Ian Drummond-Smith said.
“Our officers are on the railway every day, carrying out high-visibility patrols and intelligence-led operations targeting key locations to deter crime and protect those both travelling and working on the network,” he said.
BTP is supporting the rollout of body-worn video to frontline rail workers, he added, saying the technology was “working well” — with offenders brought to justice in around 85 per cent of incidents where body-worn footage exists.
The regulator said the rise partly reflected industry-wide campaigns encouraging passengers and staff to come forward and report abuse. Richard Hines, the ORR’s chief inspector of railways, described the figures as “concerning”.
“No-one on the railway should be subjected to violence, threats or abuse,” Mr Hines said. He said the ORR was working with the industry and unions to tackle work-related violence and harassment, and that inspectors would continue to check how employers manage the risks.
Mark Phillips, chief executive of the Rail Safety and Standards Board, said: “The rail industry continues to take action to better protect staff, but these figures underline the need for a change in public behaviour and greater respect for the people who keep the railway running safely every day.”
Network Rail, the Rail Delivery Group and DfT Operator Limited said in a joint statement that they were working together to reduce risk and prevent harm, citing greater intelligence sharing, improved reporting, enhanced CCTV and more than 24,000 body-worn cameras deployed to frontline staff.
While insisting Britain’s railway remains one of the safest in Europe, they added: “We know there is more to do and will continue working together to make the network as safe as possible for everyone.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “The rise in assaults on the railway is deeply concerning and completely unacceptable. No passenger or rail worker should face violence, threats or abuse, and we encourage anyone affected to report incidents to the police.”
The Government announced a £63 million increase in BTP funding by 2028/29, which will see more than 200 additional officers recruited, alongside investment in enhanced station CCTV connectivity, wider use of body-worn video and new measures to tackle and ban repeat offenders from the railway.
The rise comes amid continued concern about safety on the capital’s transport network. Police have issued a CCTV appeal after an assault at Liverpool Street station, while a man has pleaded guilty over an attempted rape on the Bakerloo line.
Anyone who witnesses violence or abuse on the railway should report it to British Transport Police by texting 61016, Mr Drummond-Smith said, or call 999 in an emergency.
