What is Network Rails role in encouraging such improvements?
John Armitt: There are 2,500 stations, of which we operate 17 and the rest are operated and maintained by the train operators. Our role is clear at the 17 major stations that we operate. In terms of the visibility of work that is required, the train operators have the primary opportunity and the advantage of understanding what their passengers would like to see and what they can do to meet that demand. At its simplest, some of the train operators will make a small amount of space available at the end of the station and lease it to a guy who produces bacon sandwiches and coffee. That is probably one of the most popular things that a train operator can do on his station first thing in the morning, and it does not cost him much money. However, average expenditure under the modern facilities at stations programme, which added to the infrastructure and covered information systems, toilets, waiting rooms and so on, was something like £600,000 per station. That was a high level of expenditure
