Train drivers in Great Britain are considering strike action over a persistent lack of adequate toilet facilities, with the union Aslef warning it is "putting the industry on notice" a year after the rail regulator demanded improvements. The issue has become a health and safety concern, as many drivers reportedly urinate in bottles or defecate in their cabs, with some dehydrating themselves to avoid needing a break, putting both staff and passengers at risk.

Train operators signed a welfare charter last summer promising "safe, clean, accessible and dignified" toilets and a maximum four-hour limit without a break, following a letter from the Office of Rail and Road's chief inspector on 29 July 2025. However, the ORR's latest annual report found progress "uneven" with industry momentum stalling, and Aslef general secretary Dave Calfe said drivers were "still paying with their health for industry inaction." Conditions linked to inadequate breaks include deep vein thrombosis and bladder, prostate and colorectal cancers, with female drivers said to be particularly affected; separately, ballots are underway at LNER and Avanti, and RMT members at East Midlands Railway are due to strike on 1 August over new-train issues.