Media centre

Wednesday 2 Mar 2005

SAFE AND SECURE AT LIME STREET STATION

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The 45,500 passengers using Liverpool’s Lime Street railway station every day can do so safe in the knowledge that it has just been awarded ‘secure station’ status by Crime Concern and the British Transport Police. The award comes just over a year after Network Rail took responsibility for the day-to-day management of the station, during which there has been a major shift in emphasis towards making using the station a much more pleasant experience. As station manager Roy Greenhalgh puts it: “We have done everything we can to make a visit to the station as safe and secure as possible. We have installed a completely new CCTV system with 57 cameras covering station entrances and platforms. We introduced security patrols and no longer tolerate the kind of anti-social behaviour that some of our late night visitors brought to the station. “The end result is that passengers are voting with their feet and we have virtually doubled the number of passengers who use the station every day.” To become a secure station, Network Rail had to demonstrate it was effectively managing crime problems over the 12 months prior to applying for the award. The design of the station had to comply with standards that helped to prevent and reduce crime, such as lighting, help points and easy access to telephones and alarms, all of which provide reassurance to passengers and staff alike. The management of the station must allow staff to take steps to prevent crime, respond to incidents and communicate effectively with passengers. An independent survey of passengers has to show that they feel safe and secure when using the station. British Transport Police worked closely with the station team to ensure they were up to the required standard before forwarding the application to Crime Concern for independent accreditation. Once awarded, the ‘secure station’ status remains in force for two years, at which time the station can re-apply - but they have to go through a similar process again to gain the award. The Secure Station scheme was launched in 1998 by the government, British Transport Police and Crime Concern following government research that showed public transport passengers were most concerned when waiting at stations.