THE train now arriving at platform three… is stopping as far away from you as possible. That's the preposterous situation facing passengers at Hatfield station, and all in the name of health and safety. For the Office of Rail Regulation has

THE train now arriving at platform three... is stopping as far away from you as possible.

That's the "preposterous" situation facing passengers at Hatfield station, and all in the name of health and safety.

For the Office of Rail Regulation has told train operator First Capital Connect (FCC) to remove the intermediate stop points on the platform.

That means northbound trains are now stopping at the very end of the platform - meaning passengers standing by the waiting room have to run to catch their train.

And this is something Adam Edwards, spokesman for the Hatfield Rail User Group, thinks is ridiculous.

"It's preposterous. They are in the wrong. It is all about customer service and that is simply not good enough.

"We are at a more health and safety risk now, because people run for the train.

"I've seen mothers with prams running for the train in the ice and that's obviously highly dangerous."

Chris Goward, of Park Meadow, Hatfield, said: "Whichever faceless bureaucrat made this decision should have seen the result: hundreds of passengers trudging the length of the platform through the snow and ice last week at no small risk to our health and safety.

"Surely it's not beyond the ability of train drivers to know how many cars they are pulling, or of First Capital Connect management to make sure trains stop in the right place.

"If this is too difficult, perhaps in the interest of our safety the faceless bureaucrat should stop the train service altogether."

A spokesman for FCC said: "Although there used to be different stopping points we have now had to reduce this due to safety reasons.

"In the past we have had eight car trains stopping at the four-

car stop, which means half the train would be over the end of the platform.