Overview

Merseyrail is a safe network, both for passengers and staff, with British Transport Police statistics revealing that notifiable crimes have more than halved since the start of the concession in 2003. Over the last 12 months, the rise in notifiable crime on Merseyrail has been negligible, despite the fact that crime across the UK overall has gone up.

What our customers say

Passengers feel much more secure today than they did at the start of the concession in 2003. In the last National Rail Passenger Survey, the perception of personal security on the train was 79 per cent, compared with 54 per cent in 2004.

Investment in security

Merseyrail has invested heavily in security. There are 11 times more security staff on the network now than in 2003 and we have upped the number of by-law enforcements officers. Collaborating with the British Transport Police on high profile campaigns, such as the hate crime initiative, we have trained all our frontline staff in conflict management and installed CCTV at all 68 stations. We have also equipped many of our front line staff with body-worn video cameras which record clear audio and visual footage that supply to the police.

Overall, crime rates on the UK railway continue to be below equivalent figures for wider society.

Achievements

All of our network's 66 stations have been awarded the coveted Secure Station status. We were named the UK's first fully secure rail network by the Department for Transport in January 2009.  A “Secure Station” must comply with prescribed standards such as station design; staff management and training and customer facilities that enhance station security such as CCTV coverage, Enhanced Lighting, Safe Zones and Help Points. To gain accreditation, an independent survey has to be carried out relating to personal security and people’s perception of security at the station. This assessment is done by the British Transport Police on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Car - Parks

All 36 Merseyrail controlled Car Parks have been accredited to the Safer Parking Scheme since 2010. This scheme is managed by the British Parking Association and sponsored by the Department for Transport in association with the British Transport Police.To gain accreditation to this initiative Merseyrail has put in place measures that help to deter criminal activity and anti-social behaviour, thereby doing everything we can to prevent crime and reduce the fear of crime in our parking areas; crime in all of our car parks remains very low.

Staffing

Merseyrail is one of the most generously staffed networks in the UK and will remain so when the new trains come in. All of our stations apart from Bache, Capenhurst, Little Sutton, Overpool and Ellesmere Port have a member of staff on duty every day from before the first train arrives until after the last train leaves.

Emergencies

There are Help Points on all platforms and in some booking halls. These are linked to our control centre where fully trained staff will be able to provide service information and help in any emergency situations.

CCTV

All public areas on stations are covered by state of the art CCTV cameras and images are monitored by control centre staff 24 hours a day.

On the train

As well as carrying out operational duties, guards assist passengers if they have any problems or concerns while on board our trains. All trains have CCTV cameras on board which record clear, concise images of the highest quality. These images can be used for evidential purposes if required. British Transport Police officers and Carlisle Security staff patrol trains and stations 24 hours a day seven days a week.

Incident reporting

If you require help and support there are a number of options that are available. There are Help Points on all platforms and in some booking halls. These are linked to our control centre where fully trained staff will be able to provide service information and help if you require assistance.

In an emergency you should always call the police on 999

For non-emergency incidents:

  • Tell a police officer or member of our staff
  • Call 0800 40 50 40 (freephone)
  • Text 61016 (When an emergency response isn’t needed)

Passengers are requested to always report unattended items so they can be checked. Don’t leave it to someone else to report it.

Counter Terrorism

Our job is to keep everyone who travels and works on the rail network safe. Further information can and advice can be found on the British Transport Police website here.