FRONT-LINE staff who look after passengers on York-based GNER's high-speed train services are taking on new roles to make travelling by rail an even safer experience.

The group of 13, who are based across the GNER route in London, Leeds, York, Newcastle and Scotland, are the first GNER employees to become special constables for British Transport Police.

The group includes front-line customer service staff, a training consultant and a member of the telesales department.

GNER's special constables have undertaken a rigorous two-week training programme and will receive further training over the next seven months, while shadowing full-time officers. They will then be ready to work alone or with other special constables.

Special constables have similar powers to full-time British Transport Police officers - including the power of arrest.

The GNER special constables will work two days a month for British Transport Police and their duties will include being on board trains, including GNER services, and patrolling stations and railway lines.

Rob Robinson, support liaison manager for GNER, said: "The specials will be on trains, on stations and everywhere the British Transport full-time officers operate."

The specials were sworn in at a ceremony at York Mansion House.

Jim Gilbert, customer operations director for GNER, said the special constables would help support the British Transport Police in providing reassurance and security for front-line staff and passengers.

Paul Nicholas, assistant chief constable, British Transport Police, said the specials had a unique opportunity to put something back into the railways by helping to police the industry they work in.

Meanwhile, Arriva Trains celebrated the official "swearing in" of its 18th employee in the British Transport Police.

Clare Downes, an Arriva Trains Northern conductor, has become a special constable and joins 17 Arriva employees - including her partner and Arriva train driver Paul Brunyee - who are already playing an active part in policing the region's rail network.

Updated: 08:37 Monday, February 16, 2004