SURVEILLANCE could be boosted at York Station as part of new security plans.

East Coast, which operates the main line between London and Edinburgh through the city, is looking to install a screen which would show people at the station that they are under the gaze of CCTV cameras.

The aim of the “public perception monitor” – the size of which is not yet known – is to dissuade criminals from operating at the station once they see their movements are being tracked, as well as providing extra reassurance to commuters.

An application for the system to be introduced has now been submitted to City of York Council, with a decision set to be made early in the new year.

Rachael Wilson, East Coast’s stations projects co-ordinator, said in a statement to the council: “Public perception monitors are effective because they remind customers in a subtle way that a surveillance system is in place and working.

“If a customer notices they are on camera, it will hopefully make them think twice before carrying out a crime. Using public display monitors can reassure the public they are a monitored are and help deter crime and/or theft.”

Similar monitors have already been fitted at bus stations in West Yorkshire.

A spokeswoman for British Transport Police, which has been consulted on the application, said: “These monitors, if clear and well-positioned, can provide an obvious deterrent to offenders in the railway environment and provide reassurance to the travelling public and rail staff. York Station is extremely well-used and does get extremely busy on occasions such as race meetings. A monitor of the type suggested would be especially beneficial at these peak times.”

York Station was recently awarded Secure Stations status under a scheme run by the Department for Transport and British Transport Police, after East Coast showed how it had taken steps to combat crime and make the area safer.

Part of the £1.8 million the company has spent on its stations in the year after taking on the running of the main line was invested in expanding its CCTV network.