'Passengers afraid to travel at night'

Many train stations in the South-East are dark and dangerous places commuters are afraid to use outside daylight hours, a report reveals today.

The Rail Passengers Council (RPC) for southern England attacked their lack of security, run-down facilities and threatening atmosphere.

The passenger watchdog claims the situation is so critical in some areas that commuters "fear to tread" in their local stations in the evenings. "Security, particularly at unstaffed stations, is a major concern," it says.

The news comes as the British Transport Police confirmed they are stepping up patrols and plainclothes operations at stations, because muggers and other criminals are taking advantage of the darker nights to target commuters returning home. The police blitz will concentrate on 22 stations in south London.

Steve Morgan, British Transport Police area commander for south London, said today: "Levels of robbery in south London are some of the highest in the country. We know from experience to expect an increase in robberies in November when it gets dark earlier, and this operation is designed to prevent that."

There have been almost 50 robberies at Lewisham station and Bromley station in the past six weeks alone.

However, crime is a networkwide problem. Violent crime on the railways increased by more than 10 per cent in the year to March. The RPC report covers London and the whole of the South- East, and includes stations served by South Eastern Trains, Southern and South West Trains.

The report praises work carried out to improve some stations, including Brighton, Ramsgate and Bournemouth.

But it goes on to warn: "There are too many shoddy stations where name boards are faded and unreadable, paintwork is peeling, graffiti is rife, and where passengers fear to tread in the evening."

Many passengers complain that station lavatories are frequently locked in the evening because of vandalism. The RPC says: "Motorway service stations seem able to cope; it's about time the railways got into the 21st century as well.

"However well-designed and punctual a train might be, stations must be fit for their purpose. Far too many stations still fail to reach even a minimum standard and others are deteriorating."

Tim Nicholson, RPC southern chairman, pledged his organisation would continue to press for refurbishments.

  • Are you too afraid to use your local station at night? Let us know by emailing stations@standard.co.uk

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