National Express Group’s ‘one’ railway has launched a station upgrade plan for Seven Kings station in Essex following a consultation with local residents.

David Winder ‘one’ railway’s Business Director for the Metro and Southend route commented: ‘We are committed to enhancing the station environment at Seven Kings, making it a more pleasant experience for all station users. Several key improvements are already in place and more are to follow in 2008. We are determined to ensure our passengers feel comfortable, confident and secure when travelling with us.’

The package of improvements will include:
* The introduction of two security guards, on a trial basis, to patrol the station from 14:00 – 02:00, seven days a week, from mid January to September 2008.
* A ‘deep clean’ programme for the whole station, to create a brighter, more pleasant station environment - thereby enabling cleaners to maintain the station area to a higher standard of cleanliness thereafter.
* A more robust cleaning and litter picking schedule, with a cleaner present on site seven days a week.
Guy Dangerfield, Passenger Link Manager for Passenger Focus commented: “These initiatives are good news for passengers using Seven Kings.  It is vital that passengers feel safe and secure while using a railway station, particularly in the late evening – the new security guards will provide that reassurance.  Passengers will also welcome the intention not only to deep clean Seven Kings as a ‘one off’, but also to keep it clean going forward.”