Dozens of British Transport Police (BTP) stations across Britain face possible closure, leaving fewer officers protecting the railway at a time when assaults on passengers have reached record levels.

BTP officials have imposed a hiring freeze and warned that some bases will have to close, signalling possible job losses after failing to secure enough funding to meet current commitments.

The move comes as assaults on passengers and members of the public on the mainline railway reached a record 9,542 in 2023-24, up 17% on the previous year, according to the latest statistics from the regulator, the Office of Rail and Road.

While transport police have ascribed some of the startling rise to growing train usage after Covid, as well as easier reporting of offences through smartphone apps, the number of assaults is now about 50% higher than before the pandemic.

More than three-quarters of the reported assaults were harassment cases or common assault, which includes the threat of physical violence.

Despite the worsening picture, the BTP says that funding shortfalls mean “it is inevitable that we will have fewer police officers and staff available to respond to crimes and incidents in the future”.

The force’s budget for the next year, which is funded by the largely state-owned railway, will be increased by 4.6% – less than half the rise that the BTP had argued for, and millions less than it said was needed to keep all its bases open.

The BTP’s chief constable, Lucy D’Orsi, said: “The funding settlement that has been agreed by the British Transport Police Authority for 2025-26 leaves the force with an £8.5m shortfall against current commitments. Inevitably, this means we are going to be a smaller organisation, with a reduced presence across England, Scotland and Wales.

“We are working quickly to develop our plans in light of this financial settlement and we will be able to share more detail in due course.”

The BTP said the cuts were “likely to mean that it will no longer be viable to maintain an operational presence in some of our stations across England, Scotland and Wales.

“We remain committed to keeping everybody who uses and works on the railways safe. However, it is now necessary for us to consider how we can most effectively meet future demand, which will include looking at the viability of some of our police posts.”

According to the TSSA rail union, whose members include BTP staff, almost 300 jobs could go from the 3,000-strong force, and up to 17 stations have been earmarked for closure, including several in the north of England – potentially leaving no presence between Preston and Scotland.

The TSSA’s general secretary, Maryam Eslamdoust, urged the transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, to intervene, calling on the government to “prioritise passenger and transport workers’ safety and fully fund BTP to ensure that the rail network remains a secure and efficient means of transport for all”.

She said women and girls were put at particular risk by reducing police numbers.

As well as concerns about the safety of passengers and staff, rail operators fear that the cuts will lead to increased disruption to train services. A significant BTP role is in responding to reports from drivers and station staff of any unauthorised incursion on the railway, which can often delay or stop all trains, including potential attempts by people to kill themselves.

A senior industry source said: “We understand and appreciate that budgets are tight but we are worried that the shortfall in funding to the railway police may have an impact on response times leading to more and longer delays for passengers when our people are awaiting help to deal with things such as trespass, the vulnerable and cable theft.”

A Network Rail spokesperson said: “We are working with BTP to better understand how the funding issues will impact frontline policing and the knock-on effects for our railway, aiming to minimise impacts for our passengers and other rail users.”

A government spokesperson said it was focused on ensuring that BTP funding supported the continued safety of passengers.

Addressing the rising assault numbers, the spokesperson said:
“These figures are unacceptable. Passenger safety is our top priority and we’re working closely with the BTP and train operators to keep the railways safe for everyone.

“No one should have to experience abuse or harassment on our transport networks and passengers can report concerns easily by texting 61016 for free or on the Railway Guardian app.”

The BTP spokesperson added: “We are aware that every offence is one too many and we work relentlessly alongside our policing partners and the rail industry to prevent this type of behaviour.

“Our patrols are targeted and supported by statistics to ensure that our officers are exactly where they are most needed. We encourage all passengers who see or experience crime to report it to us so we can take action.”