Talks with the UK’s rail industry began this week with the British Transport Police Authority and BTP embarking on nationwide consultation to determine the priorities for policing Great Britain’s trains and stations next year.
Events are taking place across the country with invited senior representatives from train and freight operating companies, Scottish government, Rail Delivery Group and Transport Focus discussing what BTP will need to focus on next year in order to assist in the safe and smooth running of the country’s rail network.
So far talks, which kicked off in Birmingham on Monday, have included identifying opportunities to improve how BTP supports staff and focusing on activities that increase confidence as well as maintaining a focus on increasing the identification of the perpetrators of crime.
Rail industry colleagues who have attended events so far, including Andy Cooper MD of CrossCountry and Virgin Trains Executive Director Phil Bearpark, have expressed a real appetite to work alongside BTP as delivery partners to assist in the intelligent deployment of police and industry resources and the sharing of information to direct those deployments.
To ensure a broad range of views are taken on board this year’s consultation coincides with BTP’s passenger consultation, which is seeing local police teams out and about asking commuters and rail staff ‘what matters to you?’ when it comes to policing. Feedback from both sets of consultation will be used to set the priorities for rail policing in 2016/17.
Consultation with the UK’s rail industry and Scottish & Welsh representatives closes on 13 November and will be followed up by a draft of policing priorities which the rail industry will comment on in the New Year. BTP’s passenger consultation ends 23 November.
You can keep updated on the progress on the plans for policing Great Britain’s railways 2016/17 or if you work in the rail industry and are interested in attending an event please get in touch.
View the latest policing plans.