Network Rail to end station toilet charges in 2019

The boss of Network Rail says the company will scrap toilet charges at all of its stations from 2019.

Recent figures obtained by the BBC revealed Network Rail collected £4.8m in the last financial year, from people paying to use its toilets.

Chief executive Mark Carne said it was "quite wrong to penalise people when they are in discomfort".

Charges at stations in London, Leeds, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool and Edinburgh range from 30p to 40p.

Network Rail said there was no exact date as to when the charges will be ditched, but said it would be "at some point in 2019".

Mr Carne added Network Rail's job should be to make people's lives "easier, not more difficult".

"As a company we want to treat people with dignity and respect whether they work for us or use our services," he added.

Stations that charge for toilets include King's Cross, Euston, Liverpool Street, Paddington and Waterloo - all in London - as well as Liverpool Lime Street, Leeds, Manchester Piccadilly, Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Central.

Network Rail also runs stations at Birmingham New Street, Bristol Temple Meads, London Cannon Street, London Charing Cross, London Bridge, Reading, London St Pancras and London Victoria, where passengers are not charged.

The firm has also announced it intends to install drinking fountains at the stations it manages, starting with Charing Cross "by the end of March".