Train operators across Britain have incurred costs exceeding £13 million for hiring taxis to transport staff since January 2025, with over 395,000 taxi bookings documented. These expenses, funded by ticket fares and the Department for Transport, arose primarily due to rail disruptions.

While commercial agreements typically govern pre-planned journeys, taxis are frequently utilized for emergency situations, with no inherent limits on cost or distance. South Western Railway (SWR) recorded the highest expenditure, with over £4.9 million spent on taxis for its staff. This figure includes £147,439 for delay charges, accumulated over more than 5,700 hours where taxi drivers waited for passengers. One documented instance in June 2025 involved a taxi booked by SWR incurring £135.36 in waiting fees for a four-mile journey, extending an initial fare of £30.54 due to a 4-hour and 48-minute wait.

Greater Anglia reported the most expensive single taxi journey in January 2025, costing £1,424.28, with another trip in April 2026 close behind at £1,343.76. TransPennine Express facilitated the longest single taxi journey in February 2025, covering 368 miles to shuttle staff from Glasgow to Lockerbie following a landslip that blocked the railway.

Other notable journeys include a 10-hour trip booked by c2c Railway Limited due to roadworks near East Ham, which commenced at 3:45 a.m. and concluded the following afternoon at 2:00 p.m. Approximately 39% of these taxi journeys were booked during unsociable hours, between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., when public transport options are limited.

In one unusual case, a member of staff on the Caledonian Sleeper service was provided with a taxi in March 2026 after an alternative ScotRail service was deemed excessively cold. The ScotRail service operating between Oban and Glasgow on the West Highland line has previously faced passenger complaints regarding low temperatures during winter.

SWR stated that taxis are an "important operational necessity" for the rapid transfer of workers. A spokesperson for the Department for Transport acknowledged the cost but emphasized that taxi use represents a small fraction of the overall railway operating expenses. The department indicated that under the future Great British Railways initiative, efforts will continue to ensure reliable services while managing staff safety and costs.

The figures emerge against a backdrop of significant increases in rail ticket prices since 2004, while train drivers remain among the highest-paid employees in the country, typically working 35-40 hour weeks with an average annual salary of £73,000. A union representing train drivers, Aslef, declined to comment on the taxi usage, stating that the operational decisions rest with the train operators.