Northern is pleading with passengers not to fire verbal or physical “abuse” at conductors on its trains.
As we head into the busy summer travel season, the train operator has highlighted a number of incidents that its crew members have faced in recent years while they’ve been on duty and working to “ensure everyone reaches their destination safely”.
Now, it’s cracking down and asking the public to treat everyone working on the railway with “respect”.
Northern has admitted that while the “overwhelming majority” of people who travel on its trains are polite and respectful, this unfortunately cannot be said for everyone, as there’s sadly been a “very small minority” that has resorted to shouting, spitting, and attacking members of staff over the last couple of years.
The company said it “will not tolerate” verbal and physical abuse towards staff, and is insisting it will be quick to “take action” against anyone who threatens its employees’ safety.
ADVERTISEMENT
Passengers are being urged not to fire verbal or physical ‘abuse’ at conductors on Northern trains / Credit: Northern
“We welcome millions of customers on board our trains every year and the overwhelming majority are polite, considerate, and respectful of others,” Northern said in a statement as it pleaded with passengers to show respect to train crew.
“Unfortunately, given the numbers involved, our conductors do also encounter people who are somewhat less respectful of them and the safety critical role they have onboard.
ADVERTISEMENT
“And that is unacceptable.”
The train operator said it “will not tolerate” hostile treatment of its staff / Credit: Northern
Back in December of last year, Northern revealed that the number of dangerous attacks on its trains was down almost 90% in the previous 12 months, with the number of recorded incidents falling from 69 to just eight.
The train operator has also said that the chance of perpetrators being caught on camera is now “much higher” than it was before too, and this comes after it added a further 600 new CCTV cameras to the more than 1,000 that monitor all its stations, and also installed 7,000 HD CCTV cameras on board the trains themselves.
ADVERTISEMENT
An additional £1.7 million has also been invested into adding more than 1,000 extra body-worn camera kits to its train crew.
Dozens of undercover and plain-clothed police officers, as well as Northern’s own travel safety officers, also regularly patrol services across the network.
British Transport Police has access to all footage and can use it in criminal prosecutions.
Featured Image – Northern
News
No trams to run on three major Greater Manchester lines this Easter bank holiday weekend
Emily Sergeant
People are being urged to ‘plan ahead’ as no trams are set to run on three major Greater Manchester Metrolink lines this weekend.
As part of a continuing £150 million investment in the Metrolink network across the region, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has announced that more than 1km of track will be replaced on the Altrincham line, and work will also take place between Trafford Bar and Deansgate-Castlefield to prepare for full track replacement later in the year.
As a result, there will be no trams on the Altrincham, Eccles, and Trafford Park lines this Easter bank holiday weekend all day from Friday 3 to Monday 6 April.
On top of these line closures, there is also set to be disruption across other parts of the network too, as on the East Didsbury and Manchester Airport lines, trams will run to Firswood only, and services on the Rochdale line will terminate at Exchange Square.
To keep people moving over the four-day weekend, replacement buses will run between all the affected stops, TfGM has confirmed.
Anyone using a replacement bus, however, will still need a valid Metrolink ticket or a one-day Bee bus ticket to travel, and customers will be able to use all existing options to buy these, as they will not be able to buy a ticket or pay for the fare on the replacement buses themselves.
No trams will be running on three major Greater Manchester lines this Easter bank holiday weekend / Credit: TfGM
Replacement buses are said to be calling at ‘all affected stops’ along the lines, so customers are being told not to worry about that.
Speaking ahead of the improvement works being carried out this weekend, Ian Davies, who is the Network Director for Metrolink at TfGM, said: “The first main upgrades of the year get under way over the Easter weekend, as our £150m programme to improve our network continues.
“We’ll be doing everything we can to minimise disruption to passengers while we carry out this essential work to ensure our tram network remains reliable, resilient and safe for years to come.”
TfGM has assured that staff will be out and on-hand across the network this weekend, but is urging anyone travelling to plan for their journeys ahead of time to make sure they go as smoothly as possible.
Looking ahead to the rest of the month, no trams will run between Piccadilly Gardens and Ashton-under-Lyne on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 April while the track is repaired, and a further weekend closure for track repairs on the Ashton line will take place on Saturday 25 April and Sunday 26 April.
Find out more and plan ahead on the Bee Network’s dedicated webpage here.
Featured Image – Janus Boye
News
Three men arrested after ‘shocking’ Salford pub fight leaves victim in life-threatening condition
Emily Sergeant
Three men have been arrested as police continue to appeal following a ‘shocking’ incident in Salford over the weekend.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that, at around 2:51am yesterday (Sunday 29 March), officers were called to reports of an assault at a pub on Liverpool Road in Irlam, where it’s understood that an incident involving several males took place.
Police quickly attended the scene, and one male was rushed to hospital.
The man sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment, where he’s said to remain in a life-threatening condition.
While officers are working ‘at speed’ on their investigation to establish the full circumstances of this incident, a scene is currently in place, and road closures are affecting the immediate area.
At this time, it has been confirmed that three men – all in their 20s – have been arrested on suspicion of Section 18 assault, and they remain in custody for further questioning while GMP renews its public appeal for information.
“This is a shocking incident and our thoughts are firmly with the victim and his family during this extremely difficult time,” commented Detective Chief Inspector Helen Bagnall, from GMP’s Salford district. “We are working at pace and remain absolutely committed to identifying everyone involved and bringing those responsible to justice.
“Three arrests have been made in connection with this incident, and we are continuing to appeal for further information.
“Officers remain committed to understand the full circumstances and are urging anyone with information to come forward to support our investigation.”
Can you help? A dedicated online Major Incident Public Portal has been set up, and information, CCTV, dashcam, doorbell, and phone images and footage can be submitted here, or you can also contact police on 101, quoting log 256 of 29/03/26.
Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Emily Sergeant -
16th July 2024 
