Train drivers in Great Britain consider strike action over lack of toilets

Many train drivers resort to urinating in bottles or defecating in the cabs. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian View image in fullscreen Many train drivers resort to urinating in bottles or defecating in the cabs. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian Train drivers in Great Britain consider strike action over lack of toilets Unions say basic needs still not being met a year after regulator told operators to improve facilities Train drivers are considering strike action over a lack of toilets, with unions saying basic needs are still not addressed a year after the rail regulator told operators to provide more facilities and breaks. Aslef said it was “putting the industry on notice”. The train drivers’ union added that companies had failed to deliver adequate toilets and reduce maximum driving times without a toilet break. A 2024 report by Aslef from a survey of its members found widespread issues, with many drivers unable to reach working toilets and many resorting to urinating in bottles or defecating in the cabs. The report said it had become a significant health and safety problem, with drivers left dehydrated because they were not drinking enough in order to avoid requiring a toilet break – putting passengers and staff at risk. The union believed it had secured a breakthrough last summer when operators signed up to a charter set out by the rail safety board after a long campaign. Richard Hines, HM chief inspector of railways at the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), wrote to train operators on 29 July 2025 telling them that “reliable welfare facilities [are] a basic requirement in any civilised society”. He said the current situation where some staff “lack adequate facilities or the time to use them, is unacceptable. This is a matter of human dignity, health, safety and respect to our people.” Dave Calfe, the general secretary of Aslef, said: “We need action, not broken promises, to improve toilet facilities for drivers and to reduce the time drivers are expected to go without being able to take a toilet break. The health and wellbeing of our members is not a price we are prepared to pay for the inaction of the industry.” The union said female drivers were particularly affected, and the situation was a deterrent to the railway’s attempts to recruit more women in the cab. The welfare charter, which should have been implemented within 12 months, requires “safe, clean, accessible and dignified” toilets across the railway, and a maximum time of four hours in the driving seat without the chance to go to the toilet. In the ORR’s annual report published this month, it said that despite the strong initial commitment and sign-up to the charter, “progress has been uneven and industry momentum has slowed. Key barriers remain, particularly around coordination, shared access to facilities, and consistent delivery.” Conditions such as deep vein thrombosis, bladder issues, prostate cancer and colorectal cancer are believed to be linked to lack o