CCTV at West Midlands railway stations gets £700,000 upgrade

About £700,000 is to be spent upgrading CCTV at 24 railway stations across the West Midlands.

The images will be monitored 24-hours-a-day from the Safer Travel Command Centre in Birmingham.

A further six stations may also be in line for cameras depending on the final cost of the initial scheme.

Centro chairman Councillor John McNicholas said it was hoped the cameras would cut passengers' fear of crime.

"While crime on the local rail network is low we felt that installing more CCTV would go a long way in helping to reduce any fear of crime, especially when station ticket offices are not open," he said.

The package will also see London Midland introduce "meeting points" at stations where passengers with mobility problems who have booked assistance are met by staff who help them board the train.

The initial upgrade will take place at the following stations:

Acocks Green, Bescot Stadium, Blake Street, Chester Road, Coseley, Cradley Heath, Dudley Port, Five Ways, Four Oaks, Kings Norton, Langley Green, Marston Green, Northfield, Perry Barr, Rowley Regis, Sandwell and Dudley, Selly Oak, Stechford, Snow Hill, Sutton Coldfield, Tame Bridge Parkway, Tipton, Walsall, Witton.