Major surveillance upgrade boosts security across urban rail network

18/4/04

The Gallop Government today signed a major contract to beef up security surveillance across Perth's rapidly expanding urban rail network.

Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan said the Government had signed a $7.1million contract with Honeywell Ltd to build a centralised closed circuit TV monitoring system.

Within 12 months, 800 cameras across the network will feed 24-hour, live vision to a monitoring room staffed by three to six officers, based at a central, secure location.

When the Perth-to Mandurah line is completed in late 2006, about 1,200 cameras will feed into the system.

The new system is part of the Gallop Government's $24million TrainSafe package.

"A world-class urban rail system requires a world-class security system," Ms MacTiernan said.

"We are committed to ensuring passengers have absolute confidence in the safety of Perth's urban rail system."

All trains and stations will have alarmed, round-the-clock surveillance.

The contract calls for partial completion within six months, with full completion and handover within 12 months.

"What we are introducing is a top-of-the-range, closed circuit television (CCTV) and alarm system which will be monitored from a central point and incidents responded to immediately," the Minister said.

"This sophisticated surveillance will reduce the incidence of crime and vandalism by deterring criminals and by helping Public Transport Authority security staff identify and track offenders.

"It will help in the prosecution and conviction of offenders by providing video and still images of sufficient quality to be tendered in court as evidence."

Ms MacTiernan said between five and 15 CCTV cameras would be installed at each station - located at strategic positions on all platforms and in station car parks, providing synchronised viewing.

Officers would be able to react instantly by an intercom to the specific station and instigate immediate response through radio contact with the police and the PTA's Transit Guards.

"We have worked with the Western Australian Police Service to develop improved camera techniques aimed at better identifying offenders," the Minister said.

"Passengers on our urban rail can have every confidence of optimum safety and security 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

The PTA has also developed a code of conduct to ensure the proper handling and management of images.

Ms MacTiernan said the initiative was the latest in the PTA's TrainSafe program, developed to maintain an adequate level of safety for Transperth train users.

TrainSafe had introduced on-train cameras to record activities in each carriage, platform video surveillance, emergency call buttons on trains and platforms, improved lighting at stations, and both locked compound and patrolled car parks.

The Minister said more than 200 Transit Guards had been employed, and two guards placed on every train from 7pm until the last service. Most daytime trains had a guard on board and guards would be present on all trains by the end of the year.