Thursday 20 Mar 2008
RESPONSE TO RMT YORK ECRO SAFETY CLAIMS
- Region & Route:
Having failed to disrupt passenger services with their strike action in York the RMT has resorted to scaremongering.
Our people covering the electric control room are fully qualified, experienced and accredited. However the RMT has falsely briefed a small number of specialist maintenance staff that the system of work is unsafe. This may results in a handful of maintenance work being re-scheduled for another day. This will again have no impact on rail services.
A Network Rail spokesman said: “This is typical of the ‘bully-boy’ tactics of the RMT. There is absolutely no risk to safety – either to our staff or to passengers. Rail customers deserve better and we will continue to provide a fully operational and safe railway throughout Easter.
“We would urge the RMT to engage in talks to resolve this issue – rather than resorting to spreading rumours and scare stories.”
Her Majesty's Railway Inspectorate have today visited the York Electrical Control Room to inspect the arrangements the company have put in place to cover the strike. They are completely satisfied that our arrangements are safe and our workforce have the correct training and competencies to carry out the duties of an Electrical Control Room Operator
Contact information
Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41
Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries
Journalists
Network Rail press office -London North Eastern & East Midlands route
01904 383180
mediarelations@networkrail.co.uk
About Network Rail
We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.
Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.
Follow us on Twitter: @networkrail
Visit our online newsroom: www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk