Union says regulator shares its concerns

The RMT rail union described Network Rail’s modernisation maintenance programme as “a catastrophe waiting to happen” and said that representatives of the Office of Road and Rail had indicated they share some of its concerns, following a meeting with the regulator.

The union says the rail infrastructure company’s plans to meet £400 million in DfT transport department-mandated cost savings are “a serious threat to the safe running of the railways”.

“The plans unveiled by Network Rail to cut frontline jobs, slash scheduled maintenance and inspections tasks by half and to impose wholesale changes to working arrangements without agreement is a recipe for disaster,” said RMT general secretary Mick Lynch.