Arrive safe with London Northwestern Railway
Travelling by rail is the one of the safest modes of transport in the UK. In fact, in its 2023/24 report , the RSSB announced that there were zero passenger or workforce fatalities in train accidents between March 2023 and March 2024. However, we understand that there are other reasons that can make rail travel feel slightly nerve-wracking. Whether you’re a woman travelling alone at night or you want to arrive safe with children in tow, we get it.
With your comfort and safety being among our top priorities, we want to help you travel with confidence. Here are our top tips for arriving safely 👇
Our Safe Travel Tips
Regardless of where you’re travelling to, when you’re travelling, or who you’re travelling with - here’s our best advice when it comes to staying safe when travelling by train.
Do
Don't
Safety at the Station
When you're at the station and waiting to board your train, it's important to know what to do to keep yourself safe. From staying behind the line to keeping an ear out for announcements. Keep these tips top of mind:
Use a help point
At every station there is a help point. They are easy to locate and will connect you with a member of staff who will be able to assist you to ensure you make your journey home safely.
Stay behind the line
When waiting on the platform, please make sure to stand behind the marked yellow/white line. If you drop something on the track, do not try and retrieve it – leave it and contact a member of staff.
Stand clear of closing doors
When boarding and alighting the train, stand clear of closing doors. Stopping a door from closing could result in injury as they may not reopen automatically.
Keep your children close
If travelling with little ones, make sure to always keep them close on your journey – it is the best way to ensure their safety. Apply pram brakes when possible and position parallel to the tracks.
Report suspicious activity
If you spot unattended bags or you notice behaviour that you feel is suspicious, reach out to one of our officers and they will sort it.
Turn down the volume
Although your favourite tunes can keep your commute exciting, staying alert and aware of your surroundings is key to staying safe. Turn down the volume and listen out for announcements, stay aware, and keep an eye on your belongings at all times. 👜
Safety on the train
Things like taking note of emergency exits, choosing a seat where you feel comfortable, and keeping an eye on your belongings are well within your control, and can help you feel more at ease. For safety concerns that are out of your hands, follow these tips:
Speak to a conductor
Did you know there is a conductor on every one of our trains? If you are travelling alone and want to feel more comfortable (or need help), you can locate where the conductor is at every stop. Just look out for the staff member standing on the platform and you can get on the same carriage as them to take a seat or to talk.
Sound the alarm (in an emergency)
In the event of an emergency, there is an alarm on board our trains you can pull if you feel unsafe. But it is only to be used in an emergency.
General Safety Tips
We want you to have a safe and enjoyable journey from A to B! Here are some general safety tips to keep you in the know:
Save 61016 into your phone
If you ever feel unsafe, worried, anxious, or spot something suspicious when travelling on any form of public transport, you can discreetly text the British Transport Police on 61016 who will help deal with your concern.
Call 999
You can also call the 999 emergency services for assistance in case of an emergency. Alternatively, you can text 999 instead, all you need to do is text ‘register’ to 999 who will reply with instructions for you to follow.
Keep an eye on your battery
Running low on phone battery? On most public transport you will be able to top up your phone’s battery with on board USB ports. It’s a great idea to keep a USB cable with you just in case you need it, but if you’ve left it at home and you’re running low, maybe keep those selfies down to a minimum to preserve your battery life.
Plan your journey
It may sound simple but planning your journey and your connections will help make your journey a lot smoother. You can also aim to catch the train before the last - just in case you get held up.
Supporting safe travel for everyone
We understand that everyone deserves to feel safe and confident when they’re travelling. We also know that certain groups, including women, children, and people travelling alone at night may have additional concerns about their safety. These resources and tips are here to provide peace of mind and support:
Download Hollie Guard
Hollie Guard is a great app that provides enhanced levels of protection to the user. Its different options allow you to choose a mode that works best for you based on your current situation. For example, it can send notifications to your emergency contacts when an alert has been raised.
Give Strut Safe a ring
Once you’ve completed your journey you may need to walk to your next destination. To help make you feel more at ease, you can call Strut Safe (available Friday – Saturday 7pm – 3am) on 0333 335 0026 and a volunteer on the other line will stay and chat with you until you’ve reached your destination.
Latest Network Safety Improvements
We take passenger safety seriously, and continuously look to make improvements across our network. With our ‘Future Station Now’ strategy, we are aiming to make rail travel as safe and comfortable as possible:
Smart LED Lighting
We are replacing outdated lighting with smart LED lights, making stations safer spaces, deterring anti-social behaviour and reducing electricity use. These lights will save energy by dimming down and turning off when there are no people around, but will automatically come on when movement is detected.
HD CCTV Cameras
We now have 1,165 high-definition CCTV cameras installed at 116 stations with another 2,250 in the pipeline for installation. We encourage you to keep in sight of them and in well-lit areas of the station.
Enhanced Station Accessibility
We continue to enhance station accessibility through the installation of RNIB tactile maps across 22 stations, dual-height handrails, anti-slip GRP flooring and accessible parking among others.
Help Points and Digital Customer Information Screens
We have installed 1,220 Digital Customer Information Screens (DCIS) across 146 stations with the aim of providing essential safety information both audibly and visually. We have also renewed 184 Passenger Help Points (PhPs) with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology.
Other tools and services
Rail to Refuge is a joint initiative between rail companies and Women’s Aid in which train operators cover the cost of train tickets for women, men and children escaping domestic abuse travelling to refuge accommodation.
We are supporting the UK SAYS NO MORE campaign to raise awareness and to help end domestic abuse and sexual violence across the UK.
Our Online Safe Spaces widget can be found at the bottom of every page on our website and can be used whilst shopping for train tickets or researching a route. Victims of domestic abuse can safely access help via this tool and still be seen carrying out these online tasks.
Seen an increase in police officers at train stations on our network? It could be a Project Servator patrol. We are working in partnership with the British Transport Police to prevent a wide range of criminal activity on the rail network, while providing a reassuring presence for the public.
The Project Servator approach relies on unpredictable and highly visible police deployments, whilst at the same time, building a network of vigilance made up of railway partners and the general public. Project Servator officers are specially trained in spotting the tell-tale signs of criminal or terrorist intent, and you can expect to see them anytime, anywhere.
