New National Rail security campaign
starts today: “See It. Say It. Sorted.”
A new nationwide campaign to encourage train passengers and
station visitors to report any unusual items or activity has been
launched today (Tuesday 1 November 2016) by Rail Minister Paul
Maynard at London Waterloo
Designed by government, police and the rail
industry, the new campaign aims to help build a more vigilant
network on railways across the country and raise awareness of the
vital role the public can play in keeping themselves and others
safe.
Passengers arriving at major train stations
this morning in London, Birmingham, Glasgow, and Manchester will be
among the first to hear updated security announcements and see
posters promoting the new “See It. Say It. Sorted” campaign
message.
Everyone who uses the rail network is being
urged to report anything unusual either in person to rail staff,
text us on 61016 or calling 0800 40 50
40, helping to keep the UK’s rail network safe.
Rail Minister Paul Maynard said:
“We want to send a clear message to anyone
threatening the security of the rail network that there are
thousands of pairs of eyes and ears ready to report any potential
threat to BTP and rail staff who are ready to respond to these
reports.
“Today’s campaign is aimed at our railways but
the recent incident at North Greenwich underground station, where
an alert member of the public reported an unattended bag to a
member of staff, reminds us just how important it is to be
vigilant.
“I would urge anyone who spots anything
unusual to speak to rail staff or contact BTP by
texting 61016 or calling 0800 40 50
40.”
BTP Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Alun
Thomas said:
“Don’t be afraid to report anything that feels
out of place. We rely on information from the public to help
us keep the rail network safe.
“It could be someone avoiding rail staff
or police, leaving a bag on the railway, checking out security
arrangements like CCTV or trying to access staff-only areas.
“If it doesn’t feel right, we want to hear
from you. Let us decide if what you have seen or what you know is
important. We will check the information thoroughly.”
Gary Cooper, Director of Operations at the
Rail Delivery Group, representing train operators and Network Rail,
said:
“Safety and security are paramount. Our
customers, who are at the heart of everything we do, rightly expect
this.
“With rail staff, BTP, and customers all
working together to identify any activity that doesn’t look normal,
we can help ensure millions of customers’ journeys and all freight
deliveries are safely and securely completed every day so that
Britain’s railway remains the safest in Europe.”
The new “See It. Say It. Sorted” Campaign
starts today at major railway stations and will be rolled out
across the rest of network in England, Scotland and Wales.
The campaign complements our innovative 61016
text service, which allows the public to report non-emergency
incidents on the railway discreetly 24 hours a day, 365 days of the
year. Since it started three years ago, the service has
received almost 50,000 text messages from UK rail users. We
have responded to more than 8,000 incidents and recorded just over
4,100 crimes – all as the result of a simple text message.