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Staff at a major rail operator have been given extra training in order to protect vulnerable passengers.

Northern, which runs trains across the north of England, said there was a "rising number" of passengers who were "subject to abuse, addiction and intimidation, as well as a range of mental health issues".

The initiative follows incidents on services over the summer, including one in which a conductor ensured a passenger received swift medical treatment when they were taken ill while on board.

The company said the training course could make "all the difference to someone going through a hard time".

The training has been delivered by the charity Railway Children, whose work focuses on identifying individuals at risk and helping with early forms of intervention.

In August, a Northern conductor helped a 13-year-old boy in distress on a service heading to Manchester Piccadilly, according to the operator.

Earlier this month, two staff at Blackburn station were praised for finding a missing eight-year-old girl, the company added.

Lisa Leighton, people director at York-based Northern, said: "Everyone who works on the railway has an important part to play in supporting and protecting the vulnerable people who use our trains and stations.

"In the last three months alone, colleagues across our network have intervened to help people in distress on a number of occasions.

"Training courses like the one we’re delivering to our employees could make all the difference to someone going through a hard time."

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