Safety staff patrolling West Midlands stations to help keep passengers moving

Station safety teams are being used in the West Midlands to help resolve issues before they can delay passengers' journeys.

The teams - being used at 30 stations between Wolverhampton and Coventry, between Lichfield and Bromsgrove, and at some stations between Solihull and Langley Green - are being used on platforms and trains to provide help and support to passengers and keep trains on time.

Hot weather often sees an increase in incidents which can disrupt passengers - such as trespass and vandalism at stations and along the railway - and the patrols are part of ongoing work by the rail industry to tackle these and keep trains moving.

The new teams are in addition to patrollers that already travel across the network, meaning that key stations will benefit from dedicated patrollers each day rather than shorter visits throughout the week.

As well as supporting station staff, the patrollers* carry out regular safety checks and patrol platforms to spot potential trespassers, vandals, or vulnerable people.

Nicholas Bond, Network Rail's Central route crime and security manager, said: "Keeping people safe when in stations and on trains is our priority, and these patrollers help to do just that and keep trains on time.

"We do lots of work to educate people about railway safety and offer help and support to those who might need it through the Samaritans. These additional patrols complement this, all of which ultimately helps to keep trains moving on time and for people to get to where they want to go.

"If anyone has any concerns, always report it to a member of staff or to British Transport Police on 61016."

Lucas Haworth, a member of the new safety patrol team, said: “ It’s great to work for Vital on this work set by Network Rail. It is essential to us all to stop trespass, anti-social behaviour and vandalism at stations. I have integrated very well with the station teams, and it feels like we are one big family working towards the same goals.”

Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director for West Midlands Railway, said: “Safety is our number one priority. Our teams of rail security officers and revenue protection and security managers work hard to prevent antisocial behaviour and safeguard vulnerable passengers in stations and on our trains.

“We look forward to working closely with Network Rail’s new station safety teams to support this work and keep our network running smoothly.”

Michael Stewart, commercial and customer strategy director at Chiltern Railways, said: “The safety of our customers is paramount. We have a strong presence of Chiltern colleagues, security and Travel Safe Officers across our network to ensure the railway remains a safe environment for those who wish to travel.

"These additional patrols by Network Rail will help further prevent issues, before they impact customer journeys."