Rail 'champs' to improve stations

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The government has appointed two rail "champions" who will advise on improving facilities at train stations.

It comes after a six day rail tour of Britain by Transport Minister Lord Adonis revealed some "downright poor-quality" stations.

The champions are former Virgin Trains chief executive Chris Green and Town and Country Planning Association president Sir Peter Hall.

Train companies said they were keen to move forward with improvement plans.

Lord Adonis travelled to more than 50 stations by train during his tour.

In a speech to rail industry members he said: "My tour gave me a real insight into the state of the network, which is good overall.

"It was clear however that the quality of stations is extremely variable and at many major stations the service level is often downright poor.

"I experienced stations where toilet facilities were closed or uncleaned, where there was a lack of refreshments or adequate bicycle or car parking facilities."

He said Sir Peter and Mr Green, who is also a non-executive director of Network Rail, would consider both how to get the basics right and what the broader future role of stations should be.

They have been asked to advise on better station management, future franchise agreements, Network Rail initiatives and longer-term investment.

The pair will suggest minimum levels of service that train companies and Network Rail should provide.

Lord Adonis covered 2,200 miles using 45 trains on his rail trip around Britain

Michael Roberts, chief executive of the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC), said: "Train companies have already done a good deal to improve stations, and this has been reflected in steadily improving satisfaction scores in the Passenger Focus national passenger survey over the past five years.

"But train companies are keen to move faster and we have been calling for quicker procedures to approve projects."

ATOC said it had already put proposals to the government for improvements to stations, including increased parking space at more than 60 stations.

Minimum station standards can be included in new rail franchise agreements but Lord Adonis said he hoped train companies would take on board the findings of the review and improve facilities without being told to.

A spokesman for the Department for Transport said that it was "too early" to say when Sir Peter and Mr Green would make their recommendations or whether there would be any new funding to implement them.

A £150 million programme to modernise 150 stations in England and Wales was announced in the 2007 Rail White Paper and is currently under way.