Station taken out by yobs

[Meole]

Is it worth keeping unstaffed stations open when the local population cannot control itself, easier to pass through ?
Tynemouth Metro mayhem: Trains forced to pass through station as young yobs take over platform, break window and attack worker

Young yobs take over Metro platform, attack worker and prevents trains stopping

A security team will be based at historic station during school holidays after teen troublemakers gathered at station making it unsafe for passengers to get off

www.chroniclelive.co.uk

A Metro worker was attacked as young yobs took over a station platform and forced trains to pass through without stopping.

Security and police presence has today been stepped up at Tynemouth Metro Station after the incident on Monday night, in which a train window was also broken.

Transport operator Nexus said it was unsafe for trains to stop at the historic coastal station for around half an hour last night after a large group of teenagers gathered on the platform.

 

[skyhigh]

Is it worth keeping unstaffed stations open when the local population cannot control itself, easier to pass through ?

So because of the actions of a few, everyone should be permanently disadvantaged by closing the station?

 

[TUC]

Is it worth keeping unstaffed stations open when the local population cannot control itself, easier to pass through ?
Tynemouth Metro mayhem: Trains forced to pass through station as young yobs take over platform, break window and attack worker

Young yobs take over Metro platform, attack worker and prevents trains stopping

A security team will be based at historic station during school holidays after teen troublemakers gathered at station making it unsafe for passengers to get off

www.chroniclelive.co.uk

You make unstaffed stations sound unusual. There are rather a lot of them.

 

[birchesgreen]

Personally I believe criminals should be caught and punished rather than innocent people suffer loss of facilities.

 

[swt_passenger]

This lasted half an hour from the linked report. I think the thread title‘s rather alarmist.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Alarmist nonsense from the Evening Chronic (no shock there then).

It's unusual for it to happen at Tynemouth, it tends to be Shiremoor/Northumberland Park or Meadowell/Percy Main, but like all urban networks Metro is plagued by anti-social behaviour. The main issue remains that Northumbria Police are about as much use as a chocolate teapot.

 

[transportphoto]

The main issue remains that Northumbria Police are about as much use as a chocolate teapot.

Arguably the responsibility for managing anti-social behaviour on the Tyne and Wear Metro falls with the British Transport Police rather into the jurisdiction of the local Home Office force.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Arguably the responsibility for managing anti-social behaviour on the Tyne and Wear Metro falls with the British Transport Police rather into the jurisdiction of the local Home Office force.

Unlike heavy rail, the Metro is Northumbria Police and not the BTP.

 

[transportphoto]

Unlike heavy rail, the Metro is Northumbria Police and not the BTP.

BTP’s website suggests the opposite, I’ll do some further digging. Either way, your point stands as BTP have quite a reputation (rightly or wrongly) for never being there when needed.

We police Britain’s railways, providing a service to rail operators, their staff and passengers across the country. We also police the London Underground, Docklands Light Railway, the Midland Metro tram system, Croydon Tramlink, Tyne and Wear Metro, Glasgow Subway and Emirates AirLine.

Edit on further reading, you are indeed correct and BTP’s about us page is misleading. I retract my above point! From Wikipedia:

BTP is not responsible for policing the majority of the Tyne and Wear Metro (which is instead policed by Northumbria Police's Metro Unit)…

 

[willgreen]

Is it worth keeping unstaffed stations open when the local population cannot control itself, easier to pass through ?

Young yobs take over Metro platform, attack worker and prevents trains stopping

A security team will be based at historic station during school holidays after teen troublemakers gathered at station making it unsafe for passengers to get off

www.chroniclelive.co.uk

I mean, the source you've linked states in its title that a Metro worker was attacked, which means that the station wasn't unstaffed at the time.

 

[Tetchytyke]

BTP’s website suggests the opposite, I’ll do some further digging

Odd. Northumbria Police have (or at least had when I left the NE in 2020) a specific team working with/on Metro.

There are bits of the network which are both Metro and NR, so who knows who'd have jurisdiction there!

 

[ivorytoast28]

easier to pass through ?

Tynemouth is one of the biggest stations on the metro network, so no. Also rather impressive being able to attack a staff member if it's an unstaffed station...

 

[bramling]

Alarmist nonsense from the Evening Chronic (no shock there then).

It's unusual for it to happen at Tynemouth, it tends to be Shiremoor/Northumberland Park or Meadowell/Percy Main, but like all urban networks Metro is plagued by anti-social behaviour. The main issue remains that Northumbria Police are about as much use as a chocolate teapot.

I was surprised to see Tynemouth, which is one of the more genteel parts of the Metro.

Large groups of teenagers "hanging out" seems to be standard practice at Pelaw and Seaburn in the evening, and no doubt other locations.

 

[willgreen]

I was surprised to see Tynemouth, which is one of the more genteel parts of the Metro.

Large groups of teenagers "hanging out" seems to be standard practice at Pelaw and Seaburn in the evening, and no doubt other locations.

There's generally pretty poor behaviour along the coast to be fair, I doubt all the kids there are actually from Tynemouth, although of course some will be.

 

[bramling]

There's generally pretty poor behaviour along the coast to be fair, I doubt all the kids there are actually from Tynemouth, although of course some will be.

The atmosphere on the Metro can certainly be pretty feral at times. Indeed for those used to even London it can be a bit of an eye-opener.

 

[willgreen]

The atmosphere on the Metro can certainly be pretty feral at times. Indeed for those used to even London it can be a bit of an eye-opener.

I was on a train around Benton last year and some kids shot a firework at one of the windows. Cracked but didn't smash all over the floor thankfully. Still made a bit of a mess!

 

[Rich McLean]

Many areas around Newcastle suffer from ASB, Newbigging Hall, West Denton & Denton, Benwell, Elswick, Walker, Byker etc all suffer from it as well as other locations mentioned. School holidays is silly season for them, and they will travel about. The plod can't be everywhere at once

 

[omnicity4659]

I mean, the source you've linked states in its title that a Metro worker was attacked, which means that the station wasn't unstaffed at the time.

Metro has roving customer service advisors and security guards that travel across the network around the clock. The majority of Metro stations are unstaffed.

Odd. Northumbria Police have (or at least had when I left the NE in 2020) a specific team working with/on Metro.

There are bits of the network which are both Metro and NR, so who knows who'd have jurisdiction there!

Northumbria Police Metro Unit operate on Nexus Rail infrastructure whilst BTP operates on the Network Rail section of the Metro, having an office at Sunderland Station. Northumbria Police's normal officers will still attend incidents at stations if needed regardless of what stretch of line it is.

 

[C J Snarzell]

The Manchester Metrolink is suffering some serious issues at present with ASB, so it's not just in Newcastle.

CJ

 

[paul1609]

Tynemouth has classy beach huts

 

[willgreen]

Metro has roving customer service advisors and security guards that travel across the network around the clock. The majority of Metro stations are unstaffed.

I am aware, but since staff were already onsite the OP's suggestion that staffed stations would've prevented the issue is clearly wrong.

 

[pinkmarie80]

Regent Centre is bad as well. There was a time where it was a total no go area.

 

[Tetchytyke]

The atmosphere on the Metro can certainly be pretty feral at times. Indeed for those used to even London it can be a bit of an eye-opener.

Getting worse, too, it's getting back to 1980s levels of violence and vandalism.

London isn't so bad these days because most trains and stations are busy until late, so the volume of traffic acts as a brake on ASB. The Metro can be pretty quiet in the suburbs.

The plod can't be everywhere at once

The problem is that plod are nowhere at once. They're useless. Everyone knows the hotspots, but you'll never see plod there at all. They need to be visible and they're not.

Northumbria Police's normal officers will still attend incidents at stations if needed regardless of what stretch of line it is.

I thought that was the case, thanks

 

[al78]

Getting worse, too, it's getting back to 1980s levels of violence and vandalism.

London isn't so bad these days because most trains and stations are busy until late, so the volume of traffic acts as a brake on ASB. The Metro can be pretty quiet in the suburbs.



The problem is that plod are nowhere at once. They're useless. Everyone knows the hotspots, but you'll never see plod there at all. They need to be visible and they're not.




I thought that was the case, thanks

That is what happens when services have been cut back. It is the same in my home town. The charity shop I work for as a volunteer has been a victim of theft not so long ago. It was reported to the local police who refused to investigate despite the thief being recorded on the shop CCTV.

 

[Steddenm]

There was another incident tonight according to TW Metro on Twitter. A metrocar had a window smashed on the southern section of the Coast loop.

https://twitter.com/My_Metro/status/1515078519205900298?t=LnHOEvxZQJvch5U6opvxQw&s=19

The Tweet reads:

A train has been withdrawn at Meadow Well due to an act of vandalism at the station. Due to this we have a delay to trains running between Meadow Well and St James of approx 15 minutes.

Sorry for the inconvenience caused.

 

[bramling]

There was another incident tonight according to TW Metro on Twitter. A metrocar had a window smashed on the southern section of the Coast loop.

Window smashing is pretty common on there. When we were in Tyneside for two weeks last year, trains were being withdrawn from service right left and centre because of it. Sad state of affairs, but I don’t think it’s anything particularly new, been happening for years.

 

[Steddenm]

Wonder if it'll be the same when the Class 555s come in?

 

[gimmea50anyday]

A number of my driver colleagues at TPE are ex-metro drivers. Every one I have spoken to have vowed that they will never go back to or otherwise accept DOO and it’s for the very reasons in this thread. They have commented to me that the feral behaviour of many on the trains especially on a night time and during the holidays, particularly the Easter and summer holidays and that was despite visible patrols by nexus rail security and by Northumbria and Transport Police forces. There just aren’t the resources available to be everywhere or cover every train

 

[stuu]

I used the Newcastle metro for the first time this week. Didn't see anything remotely anti-social, but was a bit surprised by the security guards travelling in groups of 4! I could only assume there was a good reason for needing those numbers

 

[Rich McLean]

I used the Newcastle metro for the first time this week. Didn't see anything remotely anti-social, but was a bit surprised by the security guards travelling in groups of 4! I could only assume there was a good reason for needing those numbers

It's mostly kids, anywhere from Byker towards the coast is paticularly bad. Have recently moved into the area, there are more rough areas than good areas.