Today's survey of rail passengers makes clear that two years after this paper launched its Safer Stations campaign, following the murder of young lawyer Tom ap Rhys Price, safety remains a major concern. Since the success of our campaign, after which station staff numbers rose, passengers are happier about stations: almost 80 per cent were satisfied with the number of staff. But their concern has now switched to the trains themselves. In the survey of three rail operators' passengers, more than half were concerned about the lack of visible staff on trains - more than the number who complained about the price of tickets.

Train operators operate under tight cost pressures. Nevertheless, the persistence of relatively rare but terrifying raids by "steaming" gangs on trains, as well as other crime, reveals the drawbacks of driver-only trains. At a time when commuters face above-inflation rises in fares - of up to 10 per cent, from next January - they are entitled to expect better security.

Transport for London and others who run stations have shown that it is possible to maintain a decent staff presence and improve safety; now train operators should do the same.

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  And the winners were...

  Our judges reveal why they chose the recipients of the 2009 Evening Standard Theatre Awards

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  'Disabled people aren't any nicer or nastier than anyone else'

  Blind actor Tim Gebbels stars in a new Channel 4 comedy that challenges the stereotypes of disabled people

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Soho lowlife's fury at Colony Room benefit

The Colony Room Club, Soho's 60-year-old louche establishment once frequented by Francis Bacon and Dylan Thomas, shut its doors at the end of last year prompting a furious backlash. Now the bitter war of words is set to become even more acrimonious

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