FoFNL Committee visit to Kirkcaldy and Dunfermline

On 29th March your committee decided to spread its wings and hold a committee meeting in the Kingdom of Fife. Following a productive meeting in the Brycedales Kirk, Kirkcaldy we took the opportunity of taking up John Yellowlee's invitation, should we find ourselves in Fife, to visit the Dunfermline Customer Service centre.

It was fascinating observing this facility which is significantly contributing to passenger safety and improved facilities, The Customer Service Centre has recently been expanded with around £500,000 from Transport Scotland.

The expansion of CCTV to 100 screens has been hugely important in combating crime and anti-social behaviour and we were shown a recording of a trespassing incident. The quality of the images was very impressive and likely to improve as the technology for the transmission of the images improves. Crime on the railways has fallen by six per cent in the last year. Improving safety and information was a key part of the expansion and passengers are now safer on Scotland's railways.

The centre handles phone calls from the platform phones and whilst observing such a conversation a committee member commented that Far North stations received less attention than those elsewhere and from this observation the idea for the station survey was born.