Train operator Midland Mainline is trialling intelligent CCTV systems to automatically alerts staff to incidents and improve safety.

The company will test the technology from supplier Atos Origin at Sheffield Station until November to boost security for staff and passengers.

The centrally managed system uses software to continuously search for specific events and alert station staff, allowing them to respond to incidents more quickly and reducing the need for a round-the-clock monitoring centre.

The first stage of the trial will focus on suspect packages, passenger movement, crime reduction and loitering, said Midland Mainline managing director Garry Raven.

‘Intelligent CCTV technology is so sophisticated, it can detect whether a passenger is standing too close to the platform edge, if someone has had a fall, if any luggage has been abandoned or even if a wall has been defaced by graffiti,’ he said.

‘We are confident that this new approach will ensure our passengers feel safer, especially at night, and that it will lead to a reduction in crime at stations.’

Staff at Midland Mainline, which is owned by the National Express Group, will also be able to respond more quickly to incidents, giving it a better chance of catching of offenders, he said.