Press releases

Four Arriva Trains Wales stations have won national awards for security and safety as part of an ongoing programme to improve station facilities.

Swansea , Bridgend, Cardiff Queen Street and Newport stations have achieved Secure Station status to recognise stringent standards of station management, security and passenger safety.

Arriva Trains Wales has improved security measures at the stations by introducing ticket-gated entry, improving use of CCTV technology, ensuring a visible staff presence, and working with British Transport Police on high profile policing operations.

Cardiff Central and Hereford Stations have also retained their Secure Station status awarded two years ago.

Gwilym Bowen, Security Manager for Arriva Trains Wales, said:

We are pleased to receive Secure Station awards in recognition of our commitment to security at the stations.

Ensuring that our customers and employees feel secure when using our stations is a key priority for the company and I hope the award will reassure those using the stations. Although levels of crime on the railway are actually very low, we are continually looking at ways to make our stations and trains safer. These awards help to address customers' perceptions and reduce the fear of crime.

Chief Inspector Paul Richards of British Transport Police said:

Secure Station status reinforces a proactive approach to challenging crime and anti-social behaviour on the railway. We look forward to working with Arriva Trains Wales to ensure that the stations continue to retain their awards in the years to come.

Ends

Notes to editors

• Photograph attached: ticket gates are being installed at ATW stations as part of a programme to increase station security for passengers.
• The Secure Station Scheme is a joint initiative between Department for Transport and British Transport Police to encourage Britain 's rail companies to improve security at stations and to reassure customers of their commitment to passenger safety.
• Working with the support and advice of a BTP Crime Reduction Officer, each rail station must implement a package of security measures, to set criteria, in order to achieve a two-year 'Secure Station' accreditation, which is monitored by a BTP Independent Accreditor.

These include the following

Design of the station
The design of the station must conform to standards, which prevent crime and improve passenger perceptions of safety. For example, effective lighting, telephones, help points, alarms and clear lines of vision will all improve security and provide reassurance.

Management of the station
The management of the station must enable employees to take steps to prevent crime, to respond to incidents and communicate effectively with passengers through, for example, the effective deployment of staff specially trained to deal with conflict and emergencies and public address systems.

Managing crime
Stations need to provide evidence that they are effectively managing crime over the 12 months prior to their accreditation submission. Statistics have to be below a certain level in proportion to the number of passengers they serve.

Passenger security
A survey of station users must show that passengers feel, on the whole, safe and secure when using the station.