Railtrack plc

Railtrack puts station security on the fast track
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date 29 October 1997
source Railtrack plc
type Press release

Railtrack today announced that its ?billion station regeneration programme will be enlarged to include an extra ? million to spend immediately on improving station security. The money will fund improved lighting and the installation of closed circuit television cameras at up to an additional 800 of its stations.

Announcing the extra spending at a meeting of the Association of Train Operating Companies today, Railtrack Chief Executive Gerald Corbett said: "Stations are actually a lot safer than many other public places, but recent research has shown us that station security is one of our customers? most important priorities. They want us to put station safety on the fast track, and that is why we are spending this extra ? million as a priority."

Railtrack’ research has shown that rail users place the issue of security at the top of the list of things they would like Railtrack to be addressing, ahead of spending money on improving station building and facilities.

Commenting on this research, Railtrack’s Commercial Director Richard Middleton said: "Our station regeneration programme has been designed to tackle the problems caused by many years of under-investment, restoring and enhancing Britain’s station network. However, we have received the clear message from rail users that, while they understand that there is a long term need to modernise stations, in the short term they want us to give priority to the safety issue. This is what we are now doing by making extra funds available for station safety measures."

Railtrack will work with the train operating companies to draw up a hit list of priority stations. In total, it is hoped that up to 800 stations will benefit and that work will start before the end of the year.

Railhub Archive ::: 1997-10-29 RTK-002