They are not just there for LNER trains, or passengers. They are there for everyone, even those travelling to Watton or Hertford.
'Maintain the safety of passengers from 125mph trains'? What an odd thing to say. They are there for the safety of everyone, regardless of whether there are fast trains or not.
I didn’t say they were just there for LNER passengers.
I said they were there:
1) to dispatch long trains - the longest trains being GTR
2) to provide assistance and information to long distance passengers - which could just as easily be GTR passengers to the south coast, or changing at Cambridge for East Anglia, or Peterborough for the East Midlands, West Midlands or further afield, as (of course) an LNER passenger.
3) maintain the safety of passengers on platforms from trains passing at 125mph. These can be any passengers. You might think it’s odd, but the risk assessments for busy stations with unfenced platforms open to traffic at 125mph show otherwise. The provision of staff is a mitigating action.
Passengers from Stevenage travelling to Watton, Hertford (or indeed anywhere on the Hertford loop) who need assistance will simply ask the P5 gateline staff. An additional member of staff on the platform would, frankly, be doing nothing all day, and b3 a complete waste of taxpayers money.