Northern’s Station Angels - On station support for Christmas revellers

There is always an increase in on-station accidents at this time of year as customers celebrate the festive season, with alcohol and bad footwear choices being the main causes of mishaps. So this year Northern took to its concourses to help customers travel home safely after a night out.

Manchester Victoria and Manchester Oxford Road stations were host to teams of support staff handing out water to keep customers hydrated, as well as sparkly flat shoes for those ready to take off their high heels.

Many of the accidents on stations at this time of year occur as customers make their way home, with slips, trip and falls coming as a result of alcohol consumption or rushing to catch a train, often in high heels.

Andrea Jacobs, Northern’s Safety Health and Environment Director, explains: “We are keen to discourage anti-social behaviour due to alcohol on our stations and we’ve raised awareness of that as an issue in the run up to Christmas, but we don’t want to stop people having a good time.

“The water and flat shoes are our way of helping our customers end their celebrations the right way, get home safely, and enjoy the rest of the festive season injury free.”

Also on hand to offer up practical support to those passing through the stations was Street Pastors, a registered charity that ensures the welfare of people on the streets of Manchester at night.

Northern will continue to promote customer safety beyond Christmas and into the New Year with its #northernsafety campaign as the poor weather creates hazardous conditions around the network.