Latest news with #RMT
Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Times
Ministers turning clock back to bad old days of British Rail
Bit by bit, Britain's rail network is falling back into public ownership. As the contracts of train operating companies expire, their operations are coming under the control of an interim Department for Transport (DfT) entity that will make way for Great British Railways some time in late 2026. All passenger operator contracts are expected to have been rolled into GBR from October 2027. From then on Britain will be served by a nationalised railway not dissimilar to British Rail, that specialist in shabby, second-class service that so epitomised shabby, postwar Britain. Only private freight operations will survive this return to locomotive socialism, together with rolling stock leasing firms and nimble 'open-access' private passenger companies operating on only a few routes with no subsidy in the gaps between GBR services. Everyone outside the Labour government can see what is coming down the line: a gigantic state monopoly run by civil servants (hundreds of DfT officials are being transferred to help run it) and those well-known champions of innovation and customer choice, the RMT and Aslef. As a report warns, the 'ghost of British Rail' is risen. Tony Lodge, a specialist in the rail industry at the Centre for Policy Studies think tank, is not alone in believing that it doesn't have to be this way. In his report, 'Rail's Last Chance', Mr Lodge describes GBR as a solution in search of a problem. He is right: while the privatisation of national infrastructure in the Thatcher-Major era produced winners (telecoms) and, ultimately, losers (water), the experience of the rail industry was more mixed. Before the pandemic rail privatisation was largely a success. Between 1998 and 2015 the number of passenger journeys more than doubled, outstripping state railways in France and Germany. New trains and services were introduced; passenger satisfaction was the highest in Europe. True, fares increased, and private operators sometimes overreached themselves with excessive franchise bids. But that record in no way makes the case for raising British Rail from the grave. It was not privatisation that resulted in the recent drop in rail income but Covid. The pandemic permanently altered the rail landscape. Working from home meant many fewer commutes and lucrative peak-time season tickets. Raw passenger numbers are almost at pre-pandemic levels but the tickets being bought are cheaper, off-peak ones: receipts are down £1.4 billion. Shipping fresh air around the country, as Rishi Sunak described operations during lockdown, killed the franchise model. Faced with rescuing insolvent passenger companies, the Tories chose consolidation under GBR, but with private firms running services on fixed contracts to foster innovation. In his report Mr Lodge pleads with the government not to throw the good out with the bad. The network is costing the taxpayer £12 billion a year while delivering only 2 per cent of passenger journeys. If this huge burden on the public finances is to be reduced ministers must, he says, prioritise customer and income growth. That means allowing more and more open-access operators to compete on price and service, making ticketing more user friendly with apps and points systems, monetising the network's vast land bank and making the Office of Rail and Road into a muscular regulator. His is a hybrid system marrying a unified network with competition. Everyone knows it's the best way forward. Except the unions and government.
BBC News
3 days ago
- BBC News
RMT union calls for action over an 'escalation' in train violence
A rail workers' union has said there has been a "serious escalation of violence and anti-social behaviour" on routes in London and the South National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) is calling for action by Operator Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which runs the Gatwick Express and Southern franchises, linking London with stations in Sussex and union said its members were facing "daily incidents" of of assault, threats, spitting, verbal abuse and intimidation, and is considering industrial said it has invested £2.5m in a plan to deal with anti-social behaviour. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said: "The level of violence on Southern and Gatwick Express services and stations has reached a crisis point and is totally unacceptable."Our members are being assaulted, threatened and abused at work and the company is not doing enough to stop it."GTR must take urgent action now to protect staff and passengers or we will have to consider all our options, including industrial action."The union wants additional staff deployed, including extra and more visible security, and a company-wide plan introduced. GTR's safety, health and security director Sam Facey said: "Last year we launched a £2.5m anti-social behaviour improvement plan, created following feedback from stakeholders, including the police and some of our staff and trade unions representatives."He said the rail company was "fully committed to tackling this issue by working closely with the unions and building on what we've done so far".More than 1,500 body worn cameras had been made available, said Mr Facey, adding that studies showed the cameras "reduce assaults by 47%" as well as gathering "vital evidence to prosecute".He continued: "We have also doubled the number of high-visibility travel safe officers who are deployed using data-led insight to work with British Transport Police and our teams of rail enforcement officers."We have also invested heavily in education projects for schools and colleges."But this is bigger than the railway, it is a wider, regional problem of youth violence affecting communities, particularly those on the south coast, which is why the close collaboration of the police, councils and other agencies continues to be so important in tackling this kind of behaviour."
ITV News
4 days ago
- ITV News
RMT calls for action to tackle ‘escalating violence' on Southern and Gatwick Express
The biggest railway workers union is calling for action to tackle claims of escalating violence on busy train routes. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said there had been a 'serious escalation' in violent and anti social behaviour across Southern and Gatwick Express services, operated by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR). Staff are facing daily incidents of assault, threats, spitting, verbal abuse, and intimidation, the union claimed. The level of violence on GTR's Southern and Gatwick Express services and stations, has reached a crisis point and is totally unacceptable. Our members are being assaulted, threatened and abused at work and the company is not doing enough to stop it Eddie Dempsey, RMT general secretary The RMT is calling for measures including additional staff and security personnel at key locations and a visible enforcement presence to deter violent behaviour. GTR said it takes the personal safety and security of everyone on its network seriously and physical or verbal abuse of any kind against staff is 'absolutely unacceptable'. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said: 'The level of violence on GTR's Southern and Gatwick Express services and stations, has reached a crisis point and is totally unacceptable. 'Our members are being assaulted, threatened and abused at work and the company is not doing enough to stop it. 'GTR must take urgent action now to protect staff and passengers or we will have to consider all our options, including industrial action. 'We will not tolerate a situation where workers are left exposed and unsupported while this behaviour goes unchecked.' The RMT is running a campaign calling for stronger protections for transport workers and a zero-tolerance approach to violence and abuse across the rail network. Govia Thameslink Railway's safety, health and security director Sam Facey said: 'We take the personal safety and security of everyone on our network incredibly seriously and physical or verbal abuse of any kind against our colleagues is absolutely unacceptable. 'Last year we launched a £2.5 million Antisocial Behaviour Improvement Plan, created following feedback from stakeholders including the police, and some of our staff and trade unions representatives. 'We remain fully committed to tackling this issue by working closely with the unions and building on what we've done so far – this includes making more than 1,500 body worn cameras available, which studies show reduce assaults by 47% and also gather vital evidence to prosecute. 'We have also doubled the number of high visibility Travel Safe Officers who are deployed using data-led insight to work with British Transport Police (BTP) and our teams of Rail Enforcement Officers to support our colleagues at stations and onboard trains. We have also invested heavily in education projects for schools and colleges. 'But this is bigger than the railway – it is a wider, regional problem of youth violence affecting communities, particularly those on the south coast, which is why the close collaboration of the police, councils and other agencies continues to be so important in tackling this kind of behaviour.'
South Wales Guardian
4 days ago
- South Wales Guardian
RMT calls for action to tackle ‘escalating violence' on busy rail routes
The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said there had been a 'serious escalation' in violent and anti social behaviour across Southern and Gatwick Express services, operated by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR). Staff are facing daily incidents of assault, threats, spitting, verbal abuse, and intimidation, the union claimed. The RMT is calling for measures including additional staff and security personnel at key locations and a visible enforcement presence to deter violent behaviour. GTR said it takes the personal safety and security of everyone on its network seriously and physical or verbal abuse of any kind against staff is 'absolutely unacceptable'. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said: 'The level of violence on GTR's Southern and Gatwick Express services and stations, has reached a crisis point and is totally unacceptable. 'Our members are being assaulted, threatened and abused at work and the company is not doing enough to stop it. 'GTR must take urgent action now to protect staff and passengers or we will have to consider all our options, including industrial action. 'We will not tolerate a situation where workers are left exposed and unsupported while this behaviour goes unchecked.' The RMT is running a campaign calling for stronger protections for transport workers and a zero-tolerance approach to violence and abuse across the rail network. Govia Thameslink Railway's safety, health and security director Sam Facey said: 'We take the personal safety and security of everyone on our network incredibly seriously and physical or verbal abuse of any kind against our colleagues is absolutely unacceptable. 'Last year we launched a £2.5 million Antisocial Behaviour Improvement Plan, created following feedback from stakeholders including the police, and some of our staff and trade unions representatives. 'We remain fully committed to tackling this issue by working closely with the unions and building on what we've done so far – this includes making more than 1,500 body worn cameras available, which studies show reduce assaults by 47% and also gather vital evidence to prosecute. 'We have also doubled the number of high visibility Travel Safe Officers who are deployed using data-led insight to work with British Transport Police (BTP) and our teams of Rail Enforcement Officers to support our colleagues at stations and onboard trains. We have also invested heavily in education projects for schools and colleges. 'But this is bigger than the railway – it is a wider, regional problem of youth violence affecting communities, particularly those on the south coast, which is why the close collaboration of the police, councils and other agencies continues to be so important in tackling this kind of behaviour.'
North Wales Chronicle
4 days ago
- North Wales Chronicle
RMT calls for action to tackle ‘escalating violence' on busy rail routes
The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) said there had been a 'serious escalation' in violent and anti social behaviour across Southern and Gatwick Express services, operated by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR). Staff are facing daily incidents of assault, threats, spitting, verbal abuse, and intimidation, the union claimed. The RMT is calling for measures including additional staff and security personnel at key locations and a visible enforcement presence to deter violent behaviour. GTR said it takes the personal safety and security of everyone on its network seriously and physical or verbal abuse of any kind against staff is 'absolutely unacceptable'. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said: 'The level of violence on GTR's Southern and Gatwick Express services and stations, has reached a crisis point and is totally unacceptable. 'Our members are being assaulted, threatened and abused at work and the company is not doing enough to stop it. 'GTR must take urgent action now to protect staff and passengers or we will have to consider all our options, including industrial action. 'We will not tolerate a situation where workers are left exposed and unsupported while this behaviour goes unchecked.' The RMT is running a campaign calling for stronger protections for transport workers and a zero-tolerance approach to violence and abuse across the rail network. Govia Thameslink Railway's safety, health and security director Sam Facey said: 'We take the personal safety and security of everyone on our network incredibly seriously and physical or verbal abuse of any kind against our colleagues is absolutely unacceptable. 'Last year we launched a £2.5 million Antisocial Behaviour Improvement Plan, created following feedback from stakeholders including the police, and some of our staff and trade unions representatives. 'We remain fully committed to tackling this issue by working closely with the unions and building on what we've done so far – this includes making more than 1,500 body worn cameras available, which studies show reduce assaults by 47% and also gather vital evidence to prosecute. 'We have also doubled the number of high visibility Travel Safe Officers who are deployed using data-led insight to work with British Transport Police (BTP) and our teams of Rail Enforcement Officers to support our colleagues at stations and onboard trains. We have also invested heavily in education projects for schools and colleges. 'But this is bigger than the railway – it is a wider, regional problem of youth violence affecting communities, particularly those on the south coast, which is why the close collaboration of the police, councils and other agencies continues to be so important in tackling this kind of behaviour.'
