TfL and c2c deliver £800,000 of safety and security improvements at East London stations

A package of rail passenger safety and security enhancements was launched in East London today, with the unveiling of a new CCTV Control Centre at c2c's Barking station.

The new CCTV control centre was officially opened at 1130 am by the Mayor of Barking & Dagenham Cllr Dee Hunt, who was joined by six children from Ripple Junior School in Barking, Hugh Chaplain Head of Rail Franchising at TfL London Rail and Mark Hopwood Managing Director at c2c.

Jointly funded by TfL, as part of their five-year £10bn Investment Programme, and c2c, who also manged the project,, the new improvements at Barking, Upminster, West Ham, Dagenham Dock, Rainham and Limehouse stations mark the delivery of a £830,000 package of improved safety and security facilities for rail passengers. These include:

" A new CCTV Control Centre at Barking which will be staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by highly trained staff and will cover all six stations; " New CCTV Cameras at all six stations - to assist with both crime prevention and detection so passengers feel safe using the stations; " Installation of new Help Points with induction loops, providing immediate audio and visual links with the control centre; " Customer Information Systems (CIS) - providing passengers with up to date train information; " New waiting accommodation at Upminster station featuring CCTV and CIS; " New Cycle Racks at Upminster and Rainham

Hugh Chaplain Head of Rail Franchising said:

Passenger safety and security is of paramount importance to TfL. We're delighted that passengers using c2c such as the children who've joined us from Ripple School today, who'll be travelling to their new secondary schools in the autumn by train, can be reassured by the new safety and security facilities we've delivered .

Mark Hopwood, Managing Director said:

The completion of this project is of enormous significance to customers in reassuring them when on and about our premises. It also sends a powerful message from the providers of public transport that we are all working together to counter anti-social behaviour on our stations and services. The security programme complements c2c's own station improvements of last year and our position as the best performing train operator in the country. I am very grateful to TfL, whose District Line services also call at Upminster, Barking and West Ham, for joining with us to fund and make this project possible.

The children representing Ripple Junior School at the event recently received a TfL Safety and Citizenship tour at Barking station and East Ham station. This educates them about independent travel, before they move to secondary school.

This transport education service is available free of charge to all schools within Greater London area.