This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Railway anti-crime campaign
18/06/2002
A new campaign to crack down on railway crime runs this
week - targeting assaults, theft and vandalism.
Deputy Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong
Learningn Lewis Macdonald today endorsed the Railway Crime
Week campaign.The Minister visited the British Transport
Police stand at Waverley Station as part of the campaign
that brings together members of the rail industry and
highlights its strategy to reduce railway crime.
The campaign will focus on both
Route crime - all lineside offences,
including trespass and vandalism and
Station crime - targeting offences in the
station environment, such as staff assaults, station user
security and car park theft.
Mr Macdonald said:
"Crime poses a real threat to the safe running of the
railway network, with vandalism proving the biggest risk.
There are approximately 200 acts of vandalism each day and
the estimated cost to the industry is a staggering £250
million a year.
"I welcome the co-ordinated approach the rail industry
is taking to target criminals who attack the network,
causing injury and delay to passengers and staff and damage
to equipment, as well as the danger to themselves."
The rail industry - Railtrack, HSE, British Transport
Police, Rail Passengers Council, Train Operating Companies
and the Strategic Rail Authority - has come together to
provide a co-ordinated approach to reducing crime on the
railways.
Railway Crime Week runs from 17 to 21 June and coincides
with National Child Safety Week to target school children
before they break for the summer holidays.