The guarding company Amulet reports that it’s retained its contract with the train operator Avanti West Coast. The contractor says it’ll continue to support the rail firm’s safeguarding strategy through the deployment of accredited Safer Travel Officers (pictured on Stockport station), who work with multiple charities to understand issues faced by vulnerable people.
The guard firm will introduce a new role, Safer Response Officer, who will lead on an assault reduction plan. This will provide support for customers and colleagues who face workplace violence, as well as provide an extra layer of security safeguarding. Awareness will be rolled out among stakeholders and customers through events at stations, briefings, and training. Avanti has been working with Amulet since 2022. Amulet says it has helped to transform the safeguarding team from a static security presence to a mobile unit operating across trains and stations. An updated Travel Safe strategy will be delivered by 37 team members, including two supervisors and a contract manager. It also brings a technology overhaul, with upgraded phones, equipment, and uniforms.
Earlier this year, Amulet officers Marie Jones and Jenny McArthur were highly commended for the Unsung Hero award at the Railway Children’s Safeguarding Champions event in Manchester in October. They were awarded for supporting a vulnerable young person who was identified as being potentially at risk while travelling. They similarly won an internal Amulet award.
Amulet adds that it will continue to work closely with Avanti staff who plan for events such as football matches, concerts and festivals, using the strategic deployment of Safer Travel Officers to help manage crowds. They will also conduct joint patrols with the British Transport Police (BTP), and work with Network Rail and the BTP to patrol areas identified as high risk based on trend analysis.
Natalie Richbell-Beer, Avanti West Coast safeguarding and crime manager, said: “We’ve seen excellent results from our partnership with Amulet over the past three years. Their expertise in safeguarding and commitment to continuous improvement has transformed how we protect passengers across our network, and we’re confident that the Travel Safe initiative will be a positive next step in our safeguarding strategy.”
And Kieran Mackie, managing director of Amulet, said: “We are proud to build on our successful partnership with Avanti West Coast. The investment of the Travel Safe team will provide additional support to customers through visible and expert safeguarding. Customer perception of safety is critical at times like this, and the Travel Safe team will provide exactly that.”
Background
Amulet works for numerous train operators; and is the primary security partner for Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), patrolling the Bee Line buses. Visit https://www.amulet.co.uk/sectors/transport/.
