Police Scotland will be promoting fraud awareness to commuters across the country next week as part of the new Stay Safe – Get on Board partnership initiative.
Alongside teams from the British Transport Police, Neighbourhood Watch Scotland, and Scotrail, officers will be speaking to the public up and down the east coast trainlines between Inverness and Galashiels, as part of the Anti-Fraud Roadshow.
The initiative will begin at Aberdeen Train Station on Monday, 11 March, 2024, with officers from the Crime Reduction Unit, as well as Neighbourhood Watch Scotland and British Transport Police, travelling onward on the Aberdeen-Dundee and Edinburgh-Dundee lines. Officers will be offering passengers advice on how to avoid being defrauded or what to do if they have been a victim of fraud.
Day two of the initiative will see officers and partners providing further advice to those travelling on the Aberdeen-Inverness and Edinburgh-Galashiels lines.
Inspector Claire Smith, of the Crime Reduction Unit, said: “Police Scotland is committed to tackling fraud and pursuing those responsible. Providing support to victims is a priority for us.
“However, we hope that by working alongside partners we can deliver critical fraud prevention messaging and equip people with the information they need to prevent these crimes from occurring in the first place.
“I would encourage anyone travelling on East coast trainlines who would like any advice on how to spot fraudulent activity or who have any concerns about fraud to speak with our officers.”
Inspector Ashley Forbes of the British Transport Police said: “British Transport Police are proud to join forces with Police Scotland and Neighbourhood Watch Scotland as part of the new Stay Safe – Get on Board initiative.
“Criminals may use a variety of tactics to commit fraud on unsuspecting passengers on Scotland’s rail network, so it’s vital the travelling public are equipped with the correct information and tools they need to prevent becoming a victim of fraud.
“British Transport Police’s high visibility officers, alongside our key partners, will be conducting on-board and at station patrols across Edinburgh and the North East to spread our important fraud prevention messaging to passengers.”
Lesley Clark, Director of Neighbourhood Watch Scotland, said: “We are proud to be involved in the Stay Safe – Get on Board joint initiative, working with partners from Police Scotland, British Transport Police, Scotrail, including Travel Safe Team and Network Rail.
“Crimes including Fraud and other Community Safety issues can have a devastating impact on people and our communities. By working together, providing advice and support it is hoped people will feel more informed and better at identifying crimes and prevent them becoming a victim.”
A meeting of the Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGoRR) – chaired by Justice Secretary and Minister for Resilience Angela Constance and attended by a number of Ministers – was held last night to ensure appropriate measures are in place to deal with the impacts of Storm Gerrit.
Met Office yellow warnings for rain, wind and snow were live until midnight across much of Scotland last night and a warning for wind and snow remained in place across Shetland until 06:00am today (Thursday 28 December).
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) have also issued a number of flood alerts and warnings across the country.
Some train services and ferry services were cancelled and a major incident was declared by Police Scotland on the A9 at Dalnaspidal, which is now fully reopened between Inverness and Perth.
Winter weather response plans are in full effect with teams working hard across the transport network to restore services and routes as far as possible – with improvements in weather conditions anticipated today.
The storm has also left some homes across Scotland without power and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) are working to restore power where it is safe to do so.
Ms Constance said:“Following a combination of rain, wind and snow across the country, I have chaired a meeting of SGoRR to ensure that we’re acting as quickly and safely as possible to mitigate the impacts of Storm Gerrit.
“We know that there are areas across the country where people are without power and SSEN are working to restore this where they can. Due to the strong winds, flooding and snow, it is not always safe for SSEN to access areas for repair. Local resilience partnerships are working to put in place welfare support for individuals who may be without power overnight.
“There have already been a number of disruptions across the transport network. It’s good to see that the incident on the A9 has been cleared and the road has now reopened but people should pass with care.
“Some roads remain closed with operatives working to reopen them as quickly as possible.
“Some railway lines will remain closed tomorrow (Thursday) morning as they require safety inspections within daylight hours. People should be mindful that there will still be areas where surface water continues to cause disruption – so we would urge everyone to plan their journeys in advance, exercise caution on the roads by driving appropriately to the conditions, and follow the latest travel advice at traffic.gov.scot.
“The Scottish Government’s resilience committee will continue to monitor the situation overnight and into Thursday, and keep Ministers fully updated.
“Advice and information for the public is available at Ready.Scot and the Scottish Government will continue to work with all relevant agencies to closely monitor the storm and its impacts and ensure support is provided to those affected.”
Joanne Maguire Scotrail’s Chief Operating Officer said:“ScotRail and Network Rail teams have been working flat out to keep people moving where possible, but we have faced extreme conditions in different parts of the country which has resulted in significant disruption. The safety of our staff and passengers is our top priority.
“We will be working overnight and early in the morning to inspect the railway and restore services, but disruption is expected to continue into Thursday. Our advice to passengers is to check before travelling via the ScotRail website or app.”
Immersive VR experience, designed to empower bystanders to recognise and help combat sexual harassment on the railway, on show today at Edinburgh Waverley station.
Demonstrating how a small action could make a big difference is important – 85% of women would feel relieved if someone intervened when experiencing sexual harassment on public transport.
This is the latest in a series of nationwide events aimed at providing advice and tips on how bystanders can safely intervene and report a situation before police or rail staff are able to get involved.
As part of the rail industry and British Transport Police’s continued commitment to make sure every passenger feels safe when travelling by train, an immersive virtual reality (VR) experience is coming to Edinburgh today – Thursday 16th November.
The event is aimed at tackling all forms of sexual harassment by educating people to recognise how these situations occur for passengers and empower them to intervene safely and report perpetrators.
Sexual harassment is a real and far-reaching issue in society with seven in ten (71%) women in the UK having experienced some form of sexual harassment in a public space, the latest survey commissioned by UN Women UK finds.
The short VR film shows how small actions, such as asking the victim if they want to swap seats or distracting the perpetrator with a question, can prevent further escalation in the moment.
Following a successful initial launch of this innovative VR film earlier this year at London Waterloo station, Rail Delivery Group (RDG) together with British Transport Police (BTP) and local train operators are inviting people in Edinburgh to try the immersive VR experience in their local station.
Jacqueline Starr, Chief Executive of Rail Delivery Group said: “As an industry we are actively tackling all forms of sexual harassment and are committed to making our passengers feel safe when onboard.
“By showcasing the ground-breaking VR experience in stations across the country we’re to equipping people with tips on how to safely intervene in situations as a bystander without putting themselves in harm’s way.
“Whether you see it or experience it, we ask everyone to report anything that makes you uncomfortable to British Transport Police by texting 61016 or using the Railway Guardian app.
“Passengers using Britain’s railways have a right to feel safe and confident to call out these behaviours without fear.”
Joanne Maguire, ScotRail Chief Operating Officer, said: “Everyone has the right to go about their day in peace without fear of harassment or abuse. ScotRail works very closely with British Transport Police and Network Rail to ensure that Scotland’s Railway is a safe environment for our customers and our staff.
“To assist us in tackling unacceptable behaviour, it’s important for anyone who witnesses it to report those responsible so that they can be brought to justice. This VR experience plays an important role in helping bystanders identify inappropriate behaviour when it takes place.”
Further events will be held in various cities in Great Britain over the coming weeks and months.
How to report
By reporting all incidents that occur, bystanders can help British Transport Police to identify perpetrators and reduce potential harm for others in the future.
To report an incident, contact British Transport Police by texting 61016 or using the Railway Guardian app. In an emergency, always call 999.
To watch the full VR film, visit the National Rail YouTube channel here.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) have begun issuing localised Flood Warnings as Storm Babet approaches.
Rain is already moving across the country, with flooding impacts expected to start this afternoon and into the early evening. The heaviest and most prolonged rainfall is expected over Aberdeen City, Dundee & Angus, Tayside, Aberdeenshire and Caithness & Sutherland, where some exceptional levels are forecast over the next 24 hours.
Extensive river and surface water flooding is expected, with widespread impacts to transport and infrastructure. There is a risk of more significant community scale property flooding – and there will be danger to life.
Other parts of Scotland are also at risk of flooding as rivers respond and drainage systems become overwhelmed. The risk of river flooding is exacerbated by the fact that many catchments are already saturated following recent heavy rainfall events. There is also concern that surface water flooding may be made worse by debris blocking drainage and culverts as a result of the high winds.
An additional band of rain is forecast to impact the east of the country on Saturday, which will prolong the event and keep rivers high. It is important people keep up to date by following weather information from the Met Office and flooding advice from SEPA.
Expert staff in SEPA’s flooding team are working round the clock to check forecasts and models, update Flood Alerts, issue Food Warnings and ensure that partners and responder agencies have the latest information.
Pascal Lardet, SEPA Flood Duty Manager, said: “There is exceptional rainfall forecast for parts of Scotland over the next 24 hours, and this will lead to significant flooding from both surface water and rivers.
“Regional Flood Alerts were issued over the last two days to provide early awareness, and localised Flood Warnings started to be issued this morning. More will be issued across the day, so I do encourage people to check our Flood Updates for all the latest information. You can also follow @SEPAFlood on X. However, it is important to stress that not all areas that could be affected have Flood Warning schemes, so please do take a Flood Alert in your area as advance notice that you could be affected.
“Follow the advice of the emergency services and take action now to protect yourself and your property. Hazards can be hidden, so please don’t walk or drive into flood water. Remember that not only is flood water likely to be dirty, 30 cm of fast flowing water can move an average family sized car, and just 15 cm of fast flowing water could be enough to knock you off your feet.”
SEPA continue to work with the Met Office to monitor the situation 24/7. As well as live information at Flood Updates, people can check the three-day Scottish Flood Forecast to see what conditions are expected further ahead.
Deputy First Minister Shona Robison chaired a meeting of the Scottish Government’s Resilience Room (SGoRR) last night after the highest level Red Weather Warning was issued for the North East of Scotland.
Attended by resilience partners, Transport Scotland, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and emergency services, the meeting set out the significant action being taken to protect the public and mitigate the severe disruption expected over the next few days.
This includes multi-agency resilience arrangements being stood up across the country to co-ordinate the on-the-ground response and support anyone affected by flooding and severe weather.
The Red Warning has been issued by the Met Office for parts of Angus and South Aberdeenshire, valid between Thursday evening (6pm) and Friday afternoon (12pm).
People are urged to not to travel and to stay at home in the affected areas with ‘exceptional’ levels of rain likely to result in significant disruption and danger to life.
There is a further Amber Warning for rain covering parts of Stirling, Perthshire, Aviemore, Moray, Angus, Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City from Thursday morning (0600) until Friday evening (1800). In these Amber areas it is being advised people should avoid travel unless absolutely necessary.
In addition, an Amber Warning for wind was issued this morning for eastern Angus and eastern Aberdeenshire, valid between 1000 and 1800 on Thursday.
Ms Robison said: “Red Warnings are rarely issued by the Met Office and this reflects how serious the impacts will be from the exceptional weather we can expect – particularly in the North East of Scotland in the next two days.
“The strong message is that if you are in the parts of Angus and South Aberdeenshire affected – please stay at home and do not travel.
“Other parts of Scotland are also at risk of flooding as rivers respond and drainage systems become overwhelmed. The risk is exacerbated by the fact that many catchments are already saturated following last week’s heavy rainfall and flooding.
“No one should take the risks for granted and I would urge everyone in the country to prepare where necessary, heed the travel warnings issued by Police Scotland and take extreme care around fast-flowing water.
“Regional resilience partnerships have been activated and the Scottish Government is working very closely with them and with all partner agencies to ensure that all possible preparations are made and that everyone has full and immediate access to the most up-to-date information.
“I am grateful for the efforts of partners and volunteers in making preparations to help the public stay safe.
“Anyone seeking live updates should follow these partner organisations on social media, and can also consult the Ready Scotland website for general advice on how to prepare for, respond to, and recover from severe weather emergencies.”
Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Houston said: “Our advice is to avoid any form of travel in those areas covered by the red weather warning.
“Driving conditions are expected to be extremely dangerous with disruption and significant delays during this period.
“In those areas covered by amber warnings for rain and wind, we would urge drivers, particularly those of high-sided vehicles, to consider if their journeys are essential or if they could be delayed until conditions improve.
“Don’t ignore road closure signs – they are for your safety.”
Pascal Lardet, SEPA Flood Duty Manager, said: “Scotland has already experienced a significant flood event this month, which communities are still recovering from, and some of the rainfall totals forecast for this week are higher than experienced over that weekend – albeit in some different areas.
“We’re expecting extensive river and surface water flooding in affected areas, with widespread impacts to transport and infrastructure. There is a risk of more significant community scale property flooding – and there will be danger to life.
“Regional Flood Alerts have already been issued, and localised Flood Warnings will be issued over the next few days as rivers respond. However, it is important to note that not all areas that could be affected have Flood Warning schemes, so please do take a Flood Alert in your area as advance notice that you could be affected.
“Take action now to protect yourself and your property. Hazards can be hidden, so please don’t walk or drive into flood water. Remember that not only is flood water likely to be dirty, 30 cm of fast flowing water can move an average family sized car, and just 15 cm of fast flowing water could be enough to knock you off your feet.”
Dave Thompson, Director of Claims at Tesco Bank, comments: “Parts of the UK and Ireland will be bracing for flooding with Storm Babet expected to bring heavy rain.
“For those who live in areas with an immediate risk of flooding, it is essential households prepare as much as possible for downpours. For example, ensure electrics and electrical appliances are disconnected and gas and water supplies are switched off.
“If your property is flooded, do not switch any of your electrical supplies back on until the flooding is over and they have been checked by a professional.
“Floodwater can also ruin more important and valuable items in your home, so make sure documents such as passports or more cherished items are sealed in plastic wallets and moved upstairs or to a safe place in your property. Then you can think about moving furniture and soft furnishings to a safer place.
“Water can also carry your furniture about your home and cause even more damage, so for heavier items it’s worth thinking about weighing down or securing all the pieces that are too heavy for you to move.
“Having an emergency flood survival kit could also help keep you and your family safe and warm should a flood occur. In your kit, you may want to include first aid equipment, bottled water, food, a torch (in case you lose power), an emergency contacts sheet, prescribed medication, blankets, clothing, insurance documents and money. If you have infants or elderly people in your household, you should also pack any special items they may need.”
Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP for Lothian Miles Briggsis calling for a defibrillator to be installed at every train station in Lothian.
Mr. Briggs’ call comes following a response received by Scottish Conservative MSP Jamie Greene from former SNP transport minister Kevin Stewart.
The Transport Minister’s response highlighted the 56 Scottish train stations that are currently equipped with a defibrillator, including some of the country’s busiest such as Central and Queen Street in Glasgow and Edinburgh Waverley.
Kevin Stewart also confirmed to Jamie Greene that plans to install further defibrillator devices across the ScotRail network are being developed.
However, with Scotland having 359 railway stations in total, Miles Briggs says it is crucial that more passengers and staff are able to access defibrillators as soon as possible.
He says having quick and easy access to the device on site at busy stations such as Livingston North could help to save lives in an emergency.
At present, the train stations in Lothian without access to a defibrillator are: Drem, Dunbar, Haddington, Longniddry, Musselburgh, North Berwiick, Prestonpans, Wallyford, Eskbank, Gorebridge, Shawfair, Wallyford, Addiewell, Armadale, Blackridge, Breich, Fauldhouse, Kirknewton, Livingston North, Uphall and West Calder.
Mr. Briggs added that he hopes that people across Scotland will get behind the campaign and ensure that stations across the country are fitted with defibrillators.
Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP Miles Briggs said: “Having easy access to a defibrillator device can often be the difference between life and death.
“While it is welcome that over 50 stations in Scotland now have them on site, this is only the beginning. It is imperative that we do what we can to ensure that stations across the country have access to a defibrillator.
“You never know when a defibrillator might be required, and the eventual goal should be to ensure that every station in Scotland can get one.
“An emergency situation might arise at any moment, so having a defibrillator on hand to use before emergency services arrive, would be of great help.
“In my region of Lothian, we have busy stations such as Livingston North and North Berwick that are without defibrillators. I believe it is common sense for devices to be installed in these areas.
“As it stands, it is not good enough that only 6 railways stations across Lothian have access to a defibrillator.
“I will continue to encourage SNP ministers to guarantee ScotRail will have the resources they need to rollout further defibrillator devices, including hopefully at each Lothian station in the near future.”
The ScotRail Alliance has announced it will be continuing its journey to a cure for Motor Neurone Disease (MND), by supporting charity MND Scotland for another two years.
The partnership, which was set to end in March 2020, has been a huge success, with staff and customers raising £255,000 since 2017, smashing their target of £150,000.
Going above and beyond for the past three years, funds have been raised through staff fundraising, customer donations and gifts in kind, such as advertising on trains and in stations.
MND is a rapidly progressing terminal illness, which stops signals from the brain reaching the muscles. This may cause someone to lose the ability to walk, talk, eat, drink or breathe unaided.
MND Scotland provides vital support to families affected by MND when they need it the most, and fund ground-breaking research into a cure.
Last month the charity announced a £1.5million investment into the UK’s biggest MND drug trial. Funds raised through the ScotRail Alliance – a partnership between ScotRail and Network Rail Scotland have contributed to this monumental step towards finding a cure for the disease and giving people living with MND hope.
Alex Hynes, Managing Director of Scotland’s Railway, said: “I am absolutely delighted that we will be continuing our work with MND Scotland over the next two years.
“MND Scotland is an incredible charity doing extraordinary work right across our country, and the recent drug trials show just how valuable our fundraising efforts can be.
“I’m really proud of our people and customers who have helped to raise more than £250,000 for this great cause so far, and I’m looking forward to raising even more over the next two years.”
Iain McWhirter, MND Scotland’s Head of Fundraising, said: “We are delighted that the ScotRail Alliance are going to be joining us on our journey to a cure for another two years.
“We have been blown away by the support we have received, from staff jumping out planes and organising coffee mornings, to customers donating across the country, and advertising which has helped raise awareness with commuters throughout Scotland.
“Thanks to the generosity of supporters like this we have been able to fund the most comprehensive MND drug trial in a generation. This trial will be open to almost every person with MND in Scotland and we hope will lead to finding effective treatments and ultimately a cure for MND.”
Transport Minister Derek Mackay has thanked travellers for their patience during the first week of disruption caused by the closure of the Forth Road Bridge.
Early indications show that the travel plan launched last Sunday is helping to minimise the impact on journey times for people moving between Fife and Edinburgh.
At its peak, the Traffic Scotland website recorded over 3 million hits per day – three times more than normal – from people wishing to receive regular updates on the status of the network and plan their journeys. The plan has undergone several refinements throughout the week.
Over the course of the week journey times on the A907 diversion during peak morning hours fell by over 30 minutes, demonstrating the effectiveness of the ongoing refinements.
In addition, in response to concerns brought forward by local businesses and communities, the restrictions on the dedicated Bus/Goods Vehicle prioritisation corridor on the A985 from Kincardine Roundabout and Cairneyhill Roundabout have been lifted to accommodate all goods vehicles during weekdays, and all vehicles on weekday nights and at weekends.
ScotRail have introduced an extra early morning train on Tuesday to supplement the additional services already running, bringing the number of extra seats on offer across the Forth Rail Bridge up to 10,000 per day. This extra capacity represents an increase in 64% on usual passenger numbers.
Over the past week Stagecoach have provided an additional 33 vehicles per day, equating to an extra 11,000 seats, for services between Halbeath, Ferrytoll and Dunfermline to Edinburgh and Livingston, operating up to every 10 minutes at peak times. Journey times are relatively consistent at 1hr 30mins
Transport Minister Derek Mackay said: ““I wish to thank the public for their patience and forbearance during this last week. I appreciate that many people have had to make significant changes to their travelling plans and, through their cooperation, we have succeeded in keeping the transport network in Fife operational and getting people to and from where they need to be.
“We have been constantly monitoring the situation and taking on board the advice and concerns of the local communities to ensure that we are doing the very best job that we can. At the centre of this co-ordination has been our comprehensive travel plan, which we have taken steps to refine over the last week
“Although certain services do remain busy, there does remain some capacity on certain routes, especially on the bus network. I encourage people to keep checking the travel plan published on the Traffic Scotland website for the latest advice.
“The team responsible for fixing the bridge are working 24/7 to get it reopened as soon as possible and are making good progress. It is of course vital that until it’s repaired we continue to explore what further improvements can be made to the travel plan and take on board feedback.”
Phil Verster, Managing Director of the ScotRail Alliance, said that further refinements to the timetable will deliver further improvements. “We’ve listened to customers’ feedback this week and fine-tuned the timetable to add in extra stops at Rosyth and stations south of the Forth on selected services from today,” he said. “The information is already on our website and in journey planners. We’re doing everything we can to keep people moving. I have to pay tribute to our customers for their understanding, and to our staff for what they have delivered – and continue to deliver – in such challenging timescales.”
Andrew Jarvis, Managing Director, Stagecoach East Scotland said: “The implementation of the bus and good vehicle priority measures have meant journey times from Fife to Edinburgh are just 90 minutes and we’ve been able to increase the frequency of services as a result. With more people heading for the buses, traffic on the roads should be that bit quieter and we have a reduced fare of £3 return in place to help ease the cost of the commute. We’re pleased that so many non-bus users have tried the shuttle services and are getting to their destination in a relaxed and timely manner and we’ve had a significant amount of positive feedback from our customers.
“Our staff have been amazing, coping superbly and cheerfully with changes to routes, timetables and shifts with very little notice in order to keep the travelling public moving. We have had drivers from all round Scotland, the north of England and Wales come to help out and I’m very grateful to them and their families for their hard work and adaptability.”
ScotRail has launched a new Cultural and Arts Fund, worth £80,000 to local communities across Scotland. The Fund will award £40,000 by the end of January 2016, followed by £10k each quarter until January 2017.Continue reading All aboard for arts funding
A comprehensive travel plan to address the impact of the necessary Forth Road Bridge closure has been launched by Transport Minister Derek Mackay, who also encouraged people to plan their journeys carefully and to allow time for a longer commute to work.Continue reading Forth Road Bridge closure: government reveals travel plan
