Train Operator Southern has added a further five stations to its complement of Secure Stations.
This brings Southern's total to 118 of its 159 stations with the accreditation. As a result, around 95% of Southern's passengers now use stations that are accredited with the award and 74% of Southern's stations have now been accredited.
The stations that were accredited with Secure Station status at the end of May are:
- Epsom Downs
- Birkbeck
- Clapham High Street
- Southwick
- East Worthing
Stations receive this award under the Secure Stations scheme, managed by the Department for Transport in partnership with the British Transport Police.
Strict criteria are applied to stations in order to gain the award. These include:
- Good fencing and boundaries
- Good CCTV coverage
- Good lighting
- Good use of corner mirrors and signage
- A reduction in crime rates at the station
- Regular station maintenance audits including removal of graffiti within 24 hours
- Positive results in an independent survey of passengers using the station on how they feel about security at the station
Southern's Managing Director, Chris Burchell said: "I am delighted that we have added these five stations to our already large number of Secure Station accreditations. The safety and security of our passengers is our highest priority, and it is heartening to see that crime on the Southern network continues to fall year by year."
More details about the Secure Stations scheme are available from the Department for Transport website - www.dft.gov.uk
About Southern
Southern provides services in south London and between central London and the south coast, through east and west Sussex and Surrey and parts of Kent and Hampshire.
Some fast facts about Southern:
- We have over 4,000 employees
- The service is provided by a fleet of 300 new and refurbished trains
- We provide over 2,000 train services each day
- We carry around 165,000 passengers each day
- Southern manages 157 stations, 112 of which have secure stations status
For more information about Southern, visit southernrailway.com
About Govia
Southern is owned by Govia, the partnership between the Go-Ahead Group and Keolis. Govia is the most enduring partnership between transport operators delivering rail franchises in this country. Govia is the UK's busiest rail operator, responsible for almost 30 per cent of UK passenger rail journeys through its three rail companies, Southern, Southeastern and London Midland. Govia retained the South Central franchise on Sunday 20th September which runs until July 2015. Further information on Govia is available at govia.info
Southern also operates Gatwick Express. For more information, log on to gatwickexpress.co.uk