GNER acted after incidents of tripping and slipping by staff and passengers across the country were highlighted by the Health and Safety Executive.

The company selected York, one of the busiest of the 12 stations managed by it, to carry out a trial programme.

Staff were given special training to spot hazards and extra handrails and slip-resistant surfaces were put in.

Root causes

Within the first two months of the trial, GNER says it has moved to eliminate accident risks on three separate occasions after staff reported the potential dangers.

GNER safety and standards manager Alan Sanderson says: "The aim of the trial at York is not to provide a 'quick-fix', but to reduce the number of accidents in the medium to long term by tackling the root causes and where appropriate, by changing passenger and staff behaviours.

"The success of the trial at York could now lead to a wider scheme being rolled out through all 12 GNER-managed stations.

"It's about spotting the potential for accidents before they happen".