A new station serving a high-profile business and residential development on the edge of Leeds has invested in a stylish defence against vehicles being driven onto the tracks.
Securiscape has installed three PAS68 security planters close to the line outside Kirkstall Forge railway station, which create a barrier in order to protect passengers and trains from unwanted intrusions.
The surface-mounted security planters have been thoroughly tested to ensure that they meet the rigorous requirements of the PAS68 standard, which governs so-called hostile vehicle mitigation devices, and are capable of stopping a 7.5 tonne truck travelling at 40mph in its tracks.
However, unlike other security planters we’ve installed elsewhere, including outside Birmingham New Street station, they don’t have any plants in them. Instead, the planters are finished with a durable brushed stainless steel surround.
Not only does this make them hard-wearing and low-maintenance, they also fit in with the smart surroundings of the Kirkstall Forge development, an ambitious scheme to build an attractive 21st Century urban village just a six-minute train ride from Leeds city centre.
Central to the plan is the railway station, which experts predicted would be used by 20,299 people in the first year, but its popularity exceeded expectations, with 21,400 journeys being made between Kirkstall Forge and Leeds in the first five months.
Mark Stone, managing director of Securiscape, said: “We have fitted PAS 68 security planters at locations across the UK but this was the first instance of them being used without vegetation.
“It works extremely well, because they don’t require any upkeep and they look smart, which fulfils our company mission of providing security with style.
“The railway station wanted the PAS 68 planters to prevent an incident whereby a vehicle accidentally or intentionally finds its way onto the tracks. Our planters are among the best in the business and they are doing a great job protecting a station which promises to become busier and busier every year.”
The PAS 68 security planters incorporate a reinforced structure and are available in a range of sizes and finishes, including a bronze patina.
