Ringwood among Melbourne’s most dangerous railway stations

An eastern suburbs railway station is among the most dangerous for commuters across the entire metro network, according to the latest stats, with recorded crime higher than five years ago.

Ringwood station has the dubious honour of being the most dangerous in Melbourne’s east. Picture: AAP

Ringwood railway station has claimed the dubious honour of being the most dangerous for passenger safety in the eastern suburbs, the latest Crime Statistics Agency figures show.

It’s also the fifth most treacherous station across the state’s transport network after Southern Cross, Flinders St, Dandenong and Frankston stations.

Police recorded 138 crimes at Ringwood — which underwent a costly $66 million revamp completed in 2016 — in the year to March.

This was up from 99 incidents for the same period five years earlier.

Reported crimes included assaults, thefts, public order and drug offences.

And the number of incidents spiked in the year to March 2018 before trending downwards according to the figures.

Commuter Stephen Heriot said the data didn’t surprise him.

“Riff raff” tended to hang around the station but he said he was pleased with the level of security by Metro staff and Protective Services Officers.

“I just ignore them, I don’t make eye contact with them,” Mr Heriot said.

Ringwood, the main station for the revamped Eastland, underwent a massive refurbishment itself but crime is still a problem at the hub where the Lilydale and Belgrave lines meet. Picture: AAP

Ryan Cai said he caught the train from the station most days and usually felt safe, but unsavoury characters tended to hang around the bus stop zone on the ground level.

“Sometimes in the night it’s a little unsafe because of people down in the bus stop, they always ask you for money,” he said.

Tony Broadley said the introduction of PSOs had made a massive difference and the station was much safer compared to eight years ago.

“I travel at night and do all those things on public transport and had no problem,” he said.

Transit Eastern Region Local Area Commander Tracy Leitch said PSOs patrolled the station until the last train at night.

CCTV cameras and improved lighting on every platform also helped keep a close eye on activity and improved a sense of community safety, she said.

And while crime had dropped overall at the transport hub compared to recent years, she said any crime at the station was a cause for concern.

“We are aware this is a busy area, particularly given the proximity to busy shopping hubs, and we task our patrols accordingly,” she said.

“In the coming weeks and months we expect this presence to increase. Transit police alongside PSOs and local officers will continue to focus on the station and the surrounding retail areas in order to deter anyone who might be headed there to do the wrong thing.”

Commander Leitch encouraged anyone who saw anything suspicious at the station to alert PSOs immediately, phone the Police Assistance Line on 131 444, or phone 000 in an emergency.

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Top five dangerous stations in the east:

Ringwood: 138 offences

Box Hill: 71 offences

Lilydale: 61 offences

Clayton: 59 offences

Boronia: 58 offences

Most dangerous train stations:

Southern Cross: 538 offences

Flinders St: 533 offences

Dandenong: 301 offences

Frankston: 164 offences

Ringwood: 138 offences