The number of reported passenger assaults on the rail network has more than tripled in the past 10 years, according to official figures.

Between April 2024 and March 2025 found there were 10,231 reported assaults, up 7% on the year before, the Office of Rail and Road’s annual report into health and safety found.

Ten years ago, there were 3,211 reported assaults, including harassment and common assaults.

The increase coincides with a drive by British Transport Police to encourage the public to report a wide range of potential concerns on the rail network.

Its “See It. Say It. Sorted.” campaign was launched in 2016 and then relaunched last year, encouraging the public to report “anything unusual”, either to station staff or to British Transport Police.

In 2022, it launched its ‘Speak Up, Interrupt’ campaign to encourage anyone who witnesses inappropriate sexual behaviour “to report incidents or safely intervene where they can”.

Across the mainline rail network, harassment and common assault made up more than three quarters of the total assaults, and both of these categories saw an increase.

This trend was mirrored on the London Underground, where reported assaults reached their highest level since the data series began in 2004, up to just over 4,600.

Of those reported incidents, harassment and common assault counting for more than 80% of the total.

In the financial year from April 2024 in the report to March 2025, passengers took 1.7 billion journeys on the mainline railway.

In that period, 14 members of the public died on the mainline network and the London Underground (not counting suicides and trespass-related incidents).

There were also two deaths of workers on the rail network – one after being assaulted at a station, and the other resulting from a fall.

The number of suicides across the rail network were also at their highest level since 2002.

Across the mainline network, there were 368 suicides or suspected suicide attempts, resulting in 293 fatalities.

Thursday’s report found injuries to members of the public and workers have also been creeping back towards pre-pandemic highs.

Recording just over 11,472 injuries, this marked the fourth yearly increase in a row, but was still below level reported in 2019-20.

Of these injuries, the vast majority – almost 80% – were non-severe.

The ORR divides up the information it reports between the mainline rail network, non-mainline (which includes services through the Channel Tunnel, as well as trams and light rail), and the London Underground.

• If you, or someone you know, has been affected by mental health issues BBC Action Line has put together a list of organisations which can help.

Last Updated:October 23, 2025, 19:48 IST

Chinese state oil companies reportedly suspended purchases of Russian oil after the US imposed sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil, Moscow’s two biggest oil companies.

The US sanctioned two key Russian oil producers on Wednesday. (Representational image: AFP)

Major Chinese state oil companies have suspended purchases of Russian oil after the United States imposed sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil, Moscow’s two biggest oil companies, multiple sources told Reuters, signalling Washington’s tough stance on Russian crude exports to pressure the country into halting its war against Ukraine.

Chinese national oil companies PetroChina, Sinopec, CNOOC and Zhenhua have decided to refrain from dealing in seaborne Russian oil at least in the short-term due to concerns over US sanctions, according to the sources.

Unipec, the trading arm of Sinopec, had stopped purchasing Russian oil last week after the UK sanctioned Rosneft and Lukoil, as well as shadow fleet ships and Chinese entities – including a major Chinese refiner – two sources informed Reuters.

China imports roughly 1.4 million barrels of Russian oil per day by sea, most of it being bought by independent refiners. Rosneft and Lukoil sell most of their oil to China through intermediaries instead of directly dealing with buyers, as per traders. After the sanctions, independent traders are likely to pause buying to assess the impact of the sanctions but will still look to continue Russian imports, they informed.

This came after Reuters reported that India was poised to sharply reduce imports of Russian oil to comply with the new US sanctions on Russian producers. A sharp drop in oil demand from Russia’s two largest customers is expected to put a strain on Moscow’s oil revenues and force importers to seek alternative supplies, driving up prices.

Traders said India and China are expected to turn to other supplies, pushing up prices for non-sanctioned oil from the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. India faces 50% tariffs on its exports to the US, with 25% of those in retaliation for Russian oil purchases.

US sanctions on Rosneft and Lukoil are the first of US President Donald Trump’s second term targeting Russia over its actions in Ukraine, amid his growing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The US Treasury has given companies until November 21 to wind down their transactions with the Russian oil producers, according to a release on the sanctions on Wednesday.

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international…Read More

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international… Read More

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New Delhi: Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Thursday had a detailed discussion with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and senior ministry officials, exploring strategies to accelerate digital infrastructure development and regional connectivity. 

The discussions centred around the capex priorities for Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the Ministry of Development of Northeastern Region and India Post Office.

“Had a constructive discussion with Finance Minister and senior officials of Finance Ministry on the Capex priorities for @DoT_India, @MDoNER_India, and @IndiaPostOffice,” Scindia posted on X social media platform.

“We explored strategies to accelerate digital infrastructure development, enhance regional connectivity, and modernise services with an optimising resource allocation and stronger impact,” the minister added.

He further stated that “our shared goal remains clear – to strengthen these vital sectors as engines of growth and innovation, and to advance a truly inclusive, digitally empowered and Aatmanirbhar Bharat”.

Last week, Scindia highlighted that the ministry’s expenditure on projects in northeast had touched an all-time high of Rs 3,447.71 crore in FY 2024–25 — marking a 74.4 per cent increase over the previous year and more than 200 per cent growth in three years. This performance, he noted, reflects the emphasis of the Ministry of Development of Northeastern Region (MDoNER) on fiscal discipline, digital monitoring, and timely delivery.

Meanwhile, India’s telecom sector is poised to increase its contribution to the country’s GDP from the current 12-14 per cent to 20 per cent over the next 10 to 12 years. India has developed an indigenous 4G technology stack, making it the fifth country globally to achieve this capability. The development was completed in a record 20 months, from concept to a full 4G stack.

The minister added that BSNL will expand its 4G network and eventually upgrade it to 5G. India now has 1.2 billion mobile subscribers, representing 20 per cent of the world’s mobile population.