DEPARTMENT FOR
TRANSPORT News Release (059 ) issued by COI News Distribution
Service on 5 May 2009
Passengers'
requirements at stations across England and Wales are to be
reviewed by two 'Stations' Champions' who have been
asked by the Government to suggest ways to improve facilities.
Transport Minister Andrew Adonis, who has just returned from a
six-day rail tour of Britain, has asked Sir Peter Hall, President
of the Town and Country Planning Association, and Chris Green, a
non-executive director of Network Rail and a former Chief
Executive of Virgin Trains, to advise the Government on improving stations.
Announcing the station review in a speech to the Railway Forum
today, Andrew Adonis said:
"My tour gave me a real insight into the state of the
network, which is good overall. It was clear however that the
quality of stations is extremely variable and at many major
stations the service level is often downright poor.
"I experienced stations where toilet facilities were closed
or uncleaned, where there was a lack of refreshments or adequate
bicycle or car parking facilities. There was great variability in
the quality of bus interchanges, together with the unavailability
of local transport information and even basic local street maps.
"To address this issue I have asked Sir Peter Hall and Chris
Green to look at how we can get the basics right as well as to
consider the broader role of stations in the future."
Commenting on the initiative, Michael Roberts, Chief Executive of
the Association of Train Operating Companies, said:
"Train companies have already done a good deal to improve
stations, and this has been reflected in steadily improving
satisfaction scores in the Passenger Focus National Passenger
Survey over the past five years. But train companies are keen to
move faster and we have been calling for quicker procedures to
approve projects. We very much look forward to this Ministerial
initiative giving a boost to such ideas and enabling operators to
deliver the passenger improvements we want to make more quickly."
The champions will advise on the minimum levels of service that
should be set at stations - ensuring they are appropriate to the
stations' passenger flows - so passengers can be confident
that stations will meet set standards.
They will also provide advice on how other changes such as
'quick wins', better station management, future
franchise agreements, Network Rail initiatives, and longer term
investment can be brought about in a way that that delivers better stations.
Government initiatives to improve stations include Access for
All, in which £370 million has been committed towards improving
facilities for disabled passengers, and the National Stations
Improvement Plan, which aims to upgrade approximately 150 stations
with £150 million of funding.
The Department for Transport also sponsors the Secure Stations
Scheme which includes a national accreditation scheme recognising
measures to improve station security and provide reassurance to
passengers and staff. This new initiative will be a way of
bringing all stations up to a similar standard.
Notes for editors
1. The stations review will consider:
* the minimum facilities that passengers should be able to expect
at stations, as appropriate to the size of their passenger flows.
* what can be done to enhance stations as transport interchanges
and community institutions.
2. The National Stations Improvement Programme (NSIP), an
initiative worth £150 million to modernise approximately 150
intermediate stations in England and Wales in 2009-14, was
announced in the 2007 Rail White Paper.
3. The primary objective of the NSIP is to bring about a
noticeable and lasting improvement in the environment at stations
for the benefit of passengers.
4. Access for All is a £370m ring-fenced fund for station
accessibility improvements under the Government's ten-year
Railways for All strategy. Station selection and prioritisation is
made by the DfT. To date, 145 stations in England, Wales and
Scotland have been selected to receive step-free access improvements.
5. The Secure Stations Scheme is sponsored by the Department for
Transport and accreditation is undertaken by the British Transport
Police. Over 90% of all overground rail journeys involve
passengers starting or finishing their journey at a Secure Station.
6. Sir Peter Hall is an English town planner, and geographer. He
is the Bartlett Professor of Planning and Regeneration at
University College London and President of both the Town and
Country Planning Association and the Regional Studies Association.
Sir Peter was also a Special Adviser on Strategic Planning to the
UK government (1991-94) and a member of the Office of the Deputy
Prime Minister's Urban Task Force (1998-1999).
7. Christopher Green joined the Network Rail Board in 2005
following his retirement as Chairman of Virgin Rail Group. Chris
has over 40 years of railway experience, having joined British
Rail upon leaving university. He held various management positions
including Managing Director of Network SouthEast and Intercity. He
was Chief Executive of Virgin Trains from 1999 to 2004. Chris was
also Chief Executive of English Heritage, a non-executive director
of Eurotunnel and past Chairman of the Railway Forum. He is a
Trustee of the Liverpool Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
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Department for Transport
Website: http://www.dft.gov.uk