§ Mr. CohenTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what steps he is taking to improve the safety of mainline railway stations in the light of recent terrorist bomb attacks;
213W(2) if he will introduce measures to make the physical environment of coach, bus and railway stations safer in the event of terrorist bomb attacks.
§ Mr. FreemanBritish Rail is responsible for the safety of mainline railway stations, and has taken a number of steps to improve security measures following the explosion at Victoria. These include a heightened police presence, the withdrawal of left luggage locker facilities, removal of litter bins, sealing of letter boxes and more regular cleaning of station concourses. Security at bus and coach stations is the responsibility of the owner and operators, and increased security measures again include a heightened police presence. Continuing vigilance by both staff and passengers is also vital, and regular reminders are issued by operators about suspicious packages.