LIFESAVING defibrillators are being installed at four local railway stations as part of a wider campaign across the region.
A total of 154 locations are involved including Earley, Winnersh, Winnersh Triangle and Wokingham.
South Western Railway stations say the publicly accessible defibrillators will be available by the end of the summer.
The announcement coincides with the naming of The Alex Wardle Foundation train at London Waterloo.
The charity was set up by Steve Wardle, an SWR operations trainer, and his family, following his son’s death from sudden arrhythmic death syndrome.
The train operator, which is one of the largest in the country with stations across South West London, Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire Dorset, Wilshire, Somerset, and Devon, is investing more than £500,000 in the project as part of its commitment to safety and serving local communities.
The defibrillators will be placed in protective cabinets as close as possible to the front entrance of the stations, to be used day or night in the event of cardiac incidents at or near stations.
The British Heart Foundation estimates there are around 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests every year in the United Kingdom, and tragically just one in ten people survive.
Station staff and local ambulance services will be provided with the codes to unlock the cabinets and access the machines, which they can provide to members of the public in an emergency.
The rollout of the machines across 154 stations, which begins this month, is expected to be competed in the summer.
Claire Mann, managing director of SWR, said: “Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome and other heart conditions can impact us all. As part of SWR’s commitment to the local communities we serve, I’m so pleased that we are installing defibrillators at every single one of our staffed stations, which could very well prove to be lifesaving.”
Steve Wardle, Alex Wardle’s father and founder of the Alex Wardle Foundation, added: “It is wonderful to see this vision come to life. Having worked on the railway for nearly 40 years, I am thankful of the railway family’s support.
“March marks seven years since Alex’s death and, although I am still a grieving parent, I feel proud of everything that we have achieved to support our community.”
