12 March 2026
RMT Press Office:
Violent attacks and aggression against transport workers across the capital is increasing and Transport for London (TfL) must take urgent action to protect staff and passengers, RMT has demanded, ahead of a work-related violence summit.
Analysis by RMT of British Transport Police data shows a 9% increase in incidents of violence against staff across London Underground, London Overground, the Elizabeth Line and the DLR in the year to November 2025 compared with the previous year.
TfL’s own figures recorded 10,493 incidents of work-related violence and aggression in 2023/24, a 5% increase on the previous year, highlighting the scale of the problem facing frontline transport workers.
A survey of RMT members working across the TfL network found that nearly two-thirds of staff experienced workplace violence in the past year, rising to 85% among London Underground station and revenue protection staff. Around half of those incidents occurred while staff were lone working.
The risks faced by transport workers were tragically highlighted in December 2024, when RMT member Jorge Ortega, who worked on the Elizabeth Line, died after being violently assaulted while on duty.
RMT is calling on TfL to take preventative action including increasing frontline staffing levels, ending lone working, providing safe places of refuge for staff across the network and significantly increasing specialist revenue protection staff.
The union also warned that a reduction in visible British Transport Police presence, linked to funding pressures, is contributing to the problem.
In RMT’s survey, 80% of members reported seeing fewer BTP officers on the network over the past year.
RMT also stressed that safety measures must apply to all workers across the TfL network, including those employed by concession operators and outsourced contractors. The union is calling for outsourced roles to be brought in-house to create a safer and more integrated workforce.
RMT General Secretary Eddie Dempsey, speaking ahead of the summit, said: “Violence and abuse against transport workers is a serious and growing problem on London’s public transport network and our members are reporting that incidents are becoming more frequent.
“It is completely unacceptable for our members to have to face such an intolerable situation.
"Increasing staffing levels across the network, ending lone working, providing safe places of refuge and an increased BTP presence, are key to tackling the risk of violence.
“Transport workers keep London moving and they deserve to be able to do their jobs without fear of abuse or assault. TfL must work with RMT to review staffing levels across the network and put in place the measures needed to protect both staff and passengers.
“These protections must apply to every worker across the TfL network, including outsourced staff who face the same risks but often lack the same protections.
"Bringing these roles in-house would help create a safer and more joined-up workforce.”
RMT is raising these concerns directly with TfL at the Work-related Violence and Aggression Summit, from 10am at Pier Walk, on Thursday calling for urgent action to tackle the growing problem of assaults on transport workers.
END
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