RMT condemns rising rail worker attacks as shrinking British Transport Police presence bites

Attacks on rail workers are surging just as British Transport Police (BTP) presence falls, the RMT rail union has warned.

Official figures show a 17% increase in assaults over the summer months compared with the same period last year, with offences across the reporting year to August 2025 up nearly 13%. Between June and August alone, 2,299 incidents were recorded.

The union says the escalation coincides with reductions in BTP jobs and station coverage due to a funding shortfall, leaving officers “too thinly spread” to deter violent and anti-social behaviour across the railway.

RMT also highlighted BTP’s own warning that heightened deployments after the Huntingdon attack were only possible through “12-hour shifts, overtime, and a pause on non-urgent paperwork, including prosecution files”, noting that “this cannot be sustained for long”.

With staff safety deteriorating, the union says it is clear current policing levels are inadequate to protect workers or passengers.

As part of its Action Against Assaults campaign, RMT is urging the government to amend the Crime and Policing Bill to create a standalone offence for assaulting a public transport worker, deliver long-term secure funding for BTP, end unsafe lone-working, reverse driver-only operation, and guarantee minimum safe staffing.

RMT reiterated that if employers fail to take concrete steps to protect staff, the union could move to a national industrial action ballot.

RMT General Secretary statement

RMT General Secretary Eddie Dempsey said: “Rail workers are facing increasing levels of violence while policing resources meant to protect them and passengers are being cut back. A 17% rise in assaults represents real people being punched, threatened, spat at and abused for simply doing their jobs. This is not a situation our union will ever accept. BTP officers themselves have warned that their current level of deployment is unsustainable.

The government must step in with a proper funding plan and must legislate for a standalone offence to deter attacks on public transport workers. If employers fail to act, our union will not hesitate to move towards a national ballot to ensure our members are protected at work.”

Global Railway Review has contacted the British Transport Police for comment on the issues raised by the RMT rail union.