Published on: Friday, 15 March 2013
Last updated: Wednesday, 5 October 2016
Rail stations on the Southend Victoria to London Liverpool Street line are benefitting from a series of improvements introduced by train operator Greater Anglia.
New disabled toilet facilities have been installed at Hockley station, to help provide easily accessible, modern facilities to passengers as they wait for trains.
A special cleaning and refresh of the overhead ironworks above the station platforms at Southend Victoria station has been carried out as part of efforts to improve the environment for station users.
In addition, ticket offices at Rochford, Hockley and Rayleigh have all been fitted with new ‘Speakeasy’ windows which will improve audio and visual communication between ticket office staff and customers with the aid of an improved built-in intercom system.
The Speakeasy windows offer simultaneous two-way voice communication by means of an intercom system which comprises public microphone, public loudspeaker, staff microphone, staff loudspeaker and induction loop.
The windows benefit customers by providing clear unobstructed vision and amplified sound to improve communication even in areas where there are levels of background noise. Volume levels can be adjusted by staff to suit the individual needs of the customer and the Induction loop transmits a signal for hearing aid users.
Barry Laver, Area Customer Service Manager – South East, said “Investment in facilities at stations is important to meet our customers’ expectations of good customer service and to encourage more people to travel by rail”.
The work has been carried out as part of Greater Anglia’s franchise commitment to refresh all 167 stations on the network.