Rail security officer guide: emergency response procedures on trains and platforms
Step-by-step emergency procedures for security officers working at UK railway stations and on trains, from medical incidents to suspicious items.
This article is general guidance and is not legal advice. Always follow your employer’s policy and your site’s assignment instructions.
Railway stations are some of the busiest public spaces in the UK. Thousands of people move through them every hour, trains arrive at speed, and electrical equipment carries lethal voltages. When an emergency happens, the environment itself adds to the danger.
Security officers working at stations and on trains need to know exactly what to do, and just as importantly, what not to do. This guide sets out practical emergency procedures for the most common rail incidents.
Key Takeaways
- Never go onto the track. Contact rail control to stop trains instead.
- Know your contacts: 999, British Transport Police, station control and the signaller.
- Use the HOT principle and the 4 Cs for unattended items.
- Crowding can become dangerous quickly, so act early.
- Follow the station emergency plan and the instructions of rail control.
Why rail emergencies are different
Rail environments have hazards you will not find in most other security roles:
- Moving trains, including non-stopping services that pass through at high speed.
- Electricity, from overhead lines and, in some areas, conductor rails at track level.
- Platform edges and gaps between trains and platforms.
- Large, fast-moving crowds, especially during disruption and events.
- Confined spaces such as tunnels, subways and train carriages.
Only staff who hold a Personal Track Safety (PTS) certificate and have been authorised for that location are allowed on or near the line. Security officers rarely hold PTS, so your job is to control the situation from a place of safety and bring in the people who can act.
Know your emergency contacts
| Contact | When to use it |
|---|---|
| 999 | Any immediate threat to life, serious injury, crime in progress or fire |
| British Transport Police: text 61016 or call 0800 40 50 40 | Non-emergency crimes and concerns on the railway |
| Station control room or duty station manager | All incidents at the station |
| Rail operator control or signaller | Stopping trains, power isolation, incidents involving the track |
| Train crew | Incidents on board a train |
British Transport Police (BTP) is the specialist police force for Britain’s railways. The national “See It. Say It. Sorted.” campaign encourages passengers to report concerns to staff or to BTP by text.
Some rail security officers are accredited by BTP under the Railway Safety Accreditation Scheme (RSAS). Accredited staff have limited powers, such as requiring a name and address for certain offences, and work closely with BTP officers. Accreditation is arranged by the employer and requires extra training and vetting.
Medical emergencies on platforms
- Check for danger. If the casualty is near the platform edge, ask control to stop trains on that line before you approach.
- Call for help. Dial 999 and alert station control, giving the platform number and exact location.
- Give first aid if trained, and send a colleague for the nearest defibrillator.
- Create space. Keep passengers back and protect the casualty’s privacy.
- Guide the ambulance crew. Send someone to meet them at the entrance and lead them to the platform using lifts where needed.
Medical emergencies on trains
On board, contact the train crew immediately, either directly or through the passenger alarm. Trains are often safer to hold at the next station than to stop between stations, because emergency services can reach a platform more easily. Follow the crew’s instructions, give first aid if trained, and help clear space in the carriage.
Be the person who can act in the first minutes
The one-day Emergency First Aid course covers CPR, using a defibrillator, choking, bleeding and shock.
A person on the track
Never go onto the track yourself, however urgent it seems. Rails may be electrified and trains can arrive with little warning.
- Contact station control or the signaller immediately and ask for trains to be stopped and, where relevant, the power to be switched off.
- Call 999.
- Keep other people from climbing down to help.
- Talk calmly to the person from the platform, if it is safe. Encourage them to move to a place of safety only if instructed by control.
- Wait until you are told, by someone with authority, that it is safe.
Some people on or near the track are in crisis. Speak calmly, listen, and keep them talking while help arrives. Samaritans and Network Rail train rail staff to spot and support people at risk of suicide, and the Small Talk Saves Lives campaign shows that a simple conversation can interrupt suicidal thoughts. Anyone can call Samaritans on 116 123 at any time, free of charge. Ask your employer about this training, because it is valuable for security officers too.
Overcrowding and crowd management
Disruption, events and bad weather can push passenger numbers beyond safe levels very quickly. Watch for:
- crowds building near platform edges;
- queues backing up on stairs and escalators;
- people pushing, or being pushed off balance;
- signs of distress, such as people trying to move against the flow.
Act early. Tell control, use announcements, position staff to slow the flow, and follow the station’s crowd management plan, which may include closing entrances or holding people at the gateline. Keep your instructions short and clear, and use a calm, confident voice. Managing a station or rail security team? Ask us about group bookings for first aid and SIA training.
Suspicious items and behaviour
Most unattended items are lost property. Use the HOT principle to decide whether an item is suspicious:
- Hidden: has it been deliberately concealed?
- Obviously suspicious: does it have wires, batteries, liquids or a strange smell?
- Typical: is it unusual for this place and time?
If the item is suspicious, apply the 4 Cs:
- Confirm it is suspicious using HOT.
- Clear people away from the area.
- Communicate: move away from the item, then call 999 and tell station control.
- Control access to the area until police take over, keeping people behind the cordon.
National guidance suggests starting distances of 100 metres for a small item such as a bag, 200 metres for a large item such as a suitcase or a car, and 400 metres for a large vehicle such as a van or lorry. Then follow the instructions of police and station control.
Do not touch or move the item, and do not use radios or mobile phones within 15 metres of it. Report it to BTP and station control immediately. Suspicious behaviour can include someone photographing security features, loitering without travelling, leaving a bag and walking away, or wearing clothing that does not suit the weather. Report what you see, with times and descriptions.
Martyn’s Law (the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025) includes transport hubs among the premises it covers, so larger stations will need documented evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication procedures when the law comes into force, expected in 2027. Security staff will be central to carrying those procedures out.
Fire and smoke
If you see fire or smoke, raise the alarm, call 999 and tell station control. Follow the station’s evacuation plan, help people with reduced mobility, and never use lifts during a fire unless they are designated evacuation lifts. On a train, alert the crew. Trains are usually safest to continue to the next station unless crew say otherwise.
Learn HOT, the 4 Cs and Run, Hide, Tell properly
ACT Awareness and ACT Security are free counter terrorism e-learning courses from ProtectUK, and both are useful for station and event staff.
Evacuating a station
- Follow instructions from the station control room or incident commander.
- Direct passengers calmly to the nearest safe exit and assembly point.
- Check toilets, waiting rooms and lifts if it is safe to do so.
- Help people with disabilities, children and anyone who is confused.
- Stop people from re-entering until given the all-clear.
- Never direct passengers onto the track unless rail control has authorised a controlled evacuation.
Attacks and violent incidents
If a weapons or terrorist attack happens, follow the national Run, Hide, Tell advice. Guide people away from danger, help them find cover if they cannot escape, and call 999 when it is safe.
After the incident
Write a clear, timed report, preserve CCTV and body-worn video, and take part in the debrief. Traumatic incidents, such as fatalities on the line, can affect staff deeply. Use your employer’s support services and talk to someone.
How to become a rail security officer
Rail security work includes roles at stations, on revenue protection teams and in control rooms. Employers usually ask for:
- an SIA Security Guard or Door Supervisor licence. Door Supervisor is the more flexible choice because it includes physical intervention
- an Emergency First Aid certificate, which the SIA requires for Door Supervisor and Security Guard training (our courses include it)
- ACT counter-terrorism awareness, which covers HOT, the 4 Cs and Run, Hide, Tell
- a CCTV licence for station control room roles
RSAS accreditation and Personal Track Safety are arranged by the employer once you are in post. You can book first aid and SIA courses at our partner centres across London, and ACT is free online through ProtectUK.
Get trained for transport security roles
Door supervisor and security guard training, counter-terrorism awareness and first aid prepare you for station and event work across London.