Metro backs safety campaign to protect passengers on platforms
The Tyne and Wear Metro has given its backing to a national campaign promoting customer safety on station platforms in the run-up to Christmas.
Nexus, owner and manager of Metro, is supporting the Rail Safety and Standards Board’s (RSSB) Respect the Edge campaign – which encourages passengers to be aware of safety when getting on and off trains.
TheMetrosystemgetsbusier as Christmas draws closer, with more passengers using extra services, prompting Metro to highlight slips, trips and other accidents like getting caught in the doors.
Extra staff will take their place on the system’s busiest Metro platforms to ensure safe boarding, while station posters, social media posts on officialTwitteraccount@My_ Metroandspecialrecordedannouncements over the public tannoy system are all being usedtopromotethecampaign.
Chris Carson, Metro Services Director, said: “Metro will be far busier in the buildup to Christmas, with more shoppers and party-goers using our services, and we want to ensure customers stay safe when they’re on our platforms.
“Rail remains one of the safest modes of travel in the country, but we are never complacent and are active in tackling issues when it comes to safety, which is why Metro is supporting the Respect the Edge campaign.”
MrCarsonaddedthatMetro wants to raise awareness of the risks, and change customer behaviour to reduce the number of accidents.
Metro is asking passengers to Respect the Edge by:
Keeping away from the edge of the train platform, regardless of whether there is a train arriving or not;
Standing behind the yellow line and paying attention to platform markings and station announcements;
Not rushing to board a train when the door alarm is sounding – this means the doors are closing; once they are closed they do not reopen and you could become trapped.