A platform for safety across the West Coast Main Line (WCML) route
Key members of the rail community supported Railway Children to raise awareness of safeguarding across the West Coast Mainline route from Glasgow to London as part of a Safeguarding Awareness Day.
Safeguarding Action Day at London Euston – Photo Railway Children
Starting at Glasgow Central Station at 08:00, staff from Railway Children, Network Rail and Avanti West Coast began public engagement activity to raise awareness of vulnerable young people found on the rail network, including how to spot them and how to refer them to British Transport Police (BTP).
The group travelled down the West Coast Main Line (WCML) throughout the day, stopping at Preston, Birmingham New Street and finishing in London Euston at around 17:30. At each station, public engagement activity was taking place through the Safeguarding Action Groups (SAGs), part of Railway Children’s Safeguarding on Transport programme. Safeguarding Action Groups bring together those responsible for the physical spaces at stations and areas of high vulnerability on rail lines, including BTP, retail managers, security firms and others. Together, they look at how and when the spaces are used and make changes so they are hostile to those who would do harm and become safer for vulnerable children and young people.
Joe Clay, Safeguarding Partnerships Programme Manager at Railway Children, said: “It was great to see so many of our SAG partners supporting us with this event up and down the country. Partnerships such as these are critical to the work that we do at Railway Children to help make the rail network safer for vulnerable young people.”
“Every day 28 children are found vulnerable and alone on the UK rail network; together we can all play a part in keeping them safe. It was also fantastic to speak to members of the public on the trains to help educate them about the issues we face. A big thank you to everyone who took part: Avanti West Coast, Network Rail, BTP, West Midlands Trains, Camden Council, Community Rail Lancashire, Preston North End and everyone else who made the day such a success”.
Dave Whitehouse, Director of Safety and Sustainability at Avanti West Coast, said: “Teaming up with Railway Children and industry partners to dedicate a day to speak with customers about safeguarding, is a great opportunity to reassure our communities we’re here to look out for them. We’ve seen first-hand the positive difference we can all make to those at risk who find themselves on our stations or trains and hope this latest activity will encourage others to act. Everyone has a role to play in protecting vulnerable people on the railway, and by highlighting how our customers can spot those at risk when travelling we hope to keep even more people safe.”
Railway Children have SAGs in nine locations around the UK and anyone interested in joining is encouraged to get involved by contacting Joe Clay j.clay@railwaychildren.org.uk
Railway Children has a handy Risk Spotting Guide available here, which helps members of the rail community (rail staff, retailers, commuters, passengers and more) to understand how to spot vulnerability on the rail network and what to do to help.
For further information about the work that Railway Children do, visit www.railwaychildren.org.uk