Met Police on track for free rail travel

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13 December 2000

From today (Wednesday 13 December) the Met’s police officers will be able to travel on a main line railway network for the first time free of charge.

Silverlink, which operates trains between Euston and Birmingham New Street and many other commuter routes around London, Bedford and St Albans, has decided to allow all of the Met’s officers to travel on and off duty simply by showing their warrant cards.

Speaking at the launch of the scheme at Euston station this morning, Chair of the Metropolitan Police Authority, Toby Harris, said:

‘This generous concession is extremely helpful in our retention and recruitment of officers, who like the rest of us, are faced with the choice of paying sky-high housing costs in London or living further out where prices are more affordable.

‘This offer now means that the Met’s officers can travel free on London buses, the Underground, Docklands Light Railway, Croydon Tramlink and Silverlink.

‘We are currently in negotiation with other train operators and the Association of Train Operating Companies in the hope that they too will provide a similar concession.

‘We must thank Silverlink’s Director of Metro Services Charlie Beaumont for providing this scheme without payment, especially at a time when profits are tight due to the current difficulties on our railways.’

Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir John Stevens, who joined Toby Harris and Mr Beaumont at the launch, said:

‘This scheme will encourage greater numbers of officers to use the rail network, giving added security and reassurance to the travelling public.

‘In these times when the transport networks are regularly targets for criminals and, more seriously, terrorist attacks, the encouragement of officers onto the system can only help in the fight against crime.’

Welcoming the first officers to use the service into Euston, Mr Beaumont said:

‘Silverlink felt it was right to provide this concession as a public service for our police and our customers. This scheme could mean many more police officers both on and off duty travelling with us and acting as a deterrent to wrongdoing.

‘Even though rail travel for the vast majority of us is crime-free, I know that customers, especially families, lone women and the elderly, find it immensely reassuring to have a police presence on trains, particularly late at night. Staff also feel more comfortable knowing that there are police around in case of trouble.’

Free travel was first introduced in the 1970s by London Transport in response to a rise in crime and attacks on staff on the network. Since then officers have often intervened to prevent disputes escalating or to arrest criminals.

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