Passenger and staff assaults
The rail industry needs to work collaboratively to reduce trespass and suicide on the railway.
Statistics from 2018 show that around 94% of frontline staff have experienced work-related violence (WRV) and workplace abuse (RSSB, 2018). This continues to be a key concern. In December a member of station staff was fatally injured in an assault at a station.
Alongside trespass, WRV is another area that increased during the Covid-19 pandemic, on a per passenger journey basis. It has remained high. In 2024/25, there were 237 lost time incidents as a result of WRV, an 18% increase on last year. Breaking down the reported incidents by role type shows that the majority of assaults reported in Safe Insights are to platform and station staff, accounting for around 57% of all assaults reported.
We don’t always have the greatest data quality on WRV. The first step to reduce WRV is making sure that it is reported. RSSB has addressed this by publishing guidance on improving the reporting of WRV. The guidance covers practical ways to reduce barriers to reporting and encourage action on WRV.
