In August, the Serco-operated Docklands Light Railway (DLR) in London, UK, achieved secure station awards at its Stratford, Canning Town and Bank stations. This achievement meant the DLR became the first urban railway in the UK to achieve secure station accreditation at all its stations. Since then, four new DLR stations have opened on the City Airport extension, with all of them expected to achieve accreditation by early 2006.

The accreditation process was particularly challenging because most DLR stations are not staffed. Nevertheless, Serco Docklands worked closely with British Transport Police to meet the scheme's exacting security standards. Among the features and procedures that impressed the judges were a CCTV system covering every station, the provision of emergency alarms on all platforms, security patrols during off-peak hours and conflict avoidance training for all DLR staff. 

“Response from passengers, the police, the local community and businesses has been overwhelmingly positive,” says Sarah Allen, who is Marketing and PR Manager with Serco Docklands. “We achieved 100 per cent accreditation shortly after the London bombings on July 7. Knowing that our stations were certified secure made an enormous difference to people's peace of mind.”

Meanwhile, the installation of a CCTV system on board every DLR train is scheduled for completion during 2006 – another safety first for a UK rail network.