The RMT has sounded a warning shot in response to growing speculation that the Department for Transport is preparing to announce the closure of most station ticket offices in England. If it happens, it could ignite a new industrial dispute on National Rail. The reform includes moving staff from the offices to concourses and platforms, where they can help passengers, but the RMT is bitterly opposed to the idea because it fears that many jobs could be lost. Closures are also being opposed on the grounds that less able people and the elderly in particular often rely on ticket offices to help them with their journeys. Because they are less likely to be users of smartphones or computers, some have no access to the internet. The change would come at a time when increasing numbers of smartcards are being introduced. The latest operator to announce a pilot scheme with cards is c2c, although it has not announced any ticket office closures. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: ‘There are rumours circulating online that the DfT plans to announce mass ticket office closures next week. ‘The train operating companies and the government must understand that we will vigorously oppose any moves to close ticket offices. ‘We will not meekly sit by and allow thousands of jobs to be sacrificed or see disabled and vulnerable passengers left unable to use the railways as a result. ‘RMT will bring into effect the full industrial force of the union to stop any plans to close ticket offices, including on our upcoming strike days of July 20, 22 and 29 in the national rail dispute.’ Although the DfT has not yet commented officially on claims that an announcement is imminent, the Guardian reported that one government source was accusing Mick Lynch of ‘trying to scaremonger’, saying: ‘We’ve made no secret about the fact that the railways need to reform in order to survive, but this should be in a way that works for passengers.’ The Rail Delivery Group said the industry had been ‘open and honest about the need for the railway to evolve’, but up until now negotiations had been continuing to ‘go round in circles’ on reforms such as moving staff from ticket offices to other parts of stations. It continued: ‘While the industry is now looking at how to move forward, any changes would be subject to employee and public consultations. ‘Staff always remain front of mind so as you would expect from a responsible employer, if and when the time comes for proposals on ticket offices to be published, they will be the first to know.’ Any changes initiated by the DfT seem likely to affect only English stations. The nationalised domestic operators in Scotland and Wales manage most of the stations in those countries, and any reforms would be a matter for the devolved governments. Station ticket offices are increasingly uncommon in other countries. Dutch Railways relies on the Netherlands national ‘chip and pin’ smartcard, and only maintains inquiry offices at about eight of its largest stations. Even then, these offices feature work stations where passengers are encouraged to make travel enquiries on line for themselves. Nederlandse Spoorwegen began to discourage the use of its ticket offices before moving ahead with closures, by charging passengers a small fee if they bought tickets at a window rather than using a machine.

The Scottish Government assumed control of the Caledonian Express contract yesterday, after Transport Scotland had decided that an extension of Serco’s franchise would not offer value for money (writes Sim Harris). The formal changeover, if usual industry practice was followed, would have been at 02.00 on Sunday morning, when legal responsibilities would have been transferred. The nationalisation of another private sector operator was not particularly unusual. It is just under a month since FirstGroup’s National Rail Contract for Transpennine Express was transferred to a company owned by the Department for Transport’s Operator of Last Resort. But the Sleeper changeover was slightly different. The last TPE franchise was effectively paused in March 2020 when the first Emergency Measures came into effect, and was officially abolished, along with all other English franchises, in September of the same year. Caledonian Sleeper was still technically a franchise, although it too had been paused in April 2020 and was being administered under an Emergency Measures Agreement with the Scottish Government. As such, it was the last of its kind, which meant the final train run by a franchised operator from London Euston departed at 23.45 on Friday night, bound for Edinburgh and Glasgow Central. The first franchised train, incidentally, was South West Trains’ departure from Twickenham to London Waterloo at 05.10 on 4 February 1996. (Great Western Trains should have been first, with its unadvertised 01.50 service from Fishguard Harbour. This, had it departed on time, would have moved seamlessly into the new era somewhere near the site of the former Jordanston Halt. In the event the train was replaced by a bus because of engineering work further down the line, and the bus was late.) Operators now fall into three categories. The first are owned by government, the second have National Rail Contracts, and the third have less specific Direct Awards, such as Avanti West Coast. This does not prevent the mainstream media referring from time to time to ‘franchises’. and even some operators (who should know better) still mention their ‘franchise area’. In theory, at least, the creation of Great British Railways should usher in new Passenger Service Contracts which, if the recommendations of Keith Williams in the 2021 Plan for Rail are followed, will be very similar to the low-risk concessions which already apply on operators like London Overground. LO is run by Arriva, but the contract with Transport for London is a tight one, and although Arriva is exposed to minimal commercial risk, it also has very little commercial freedom. What is still unclear is just what a Passenger Service Contract will involve. Privatisation enthusiasts, both within and outside the industry, want these contracts to be as loosely framed as possible, to allow the private sector to take a significant part. On the other hand, those in favour of public ownership opt for full-strength nationalisation. As things stand, the government is deeply engrossed in other problems –particularly how to win the next election – so GBR has been left on the platform waiting, you might say, for a train (or rail replacement bus) which has yet to turn up.

TransPennine Express is urging people not to travel on many of its core routes today, unless their journeys are essential. Fewer services than usual are expected to run between Liverpool/Manchester – Newcastle, Liverpool – Hull, Manchester Airport – Saltburn,    Manchester – Scarborough, York – Scarborough, Manchester – Huddersfield – Leeds and Newcastle – Edinburgh. TPE interim managing director Chris Jackson said: ‘We regret that we need to run a reduced number of services today which is due to operational issues, including a lack of available traincrew. ‘We have been clear so far that some of the challenges we have inherited include a significant backlog in driver training and only 50 per cent of drivers being currently equipped to drive the trains and routes in their roster. ‘From next week, rest day working will be reinstated at TPE which, while not removing all the issues that TPE is facing, will help us to increase driver training which in turn will contribute towards a more stable service for passengers. We are also working hard on operational plans to deliver a long-term improved service for our customers. We apologise again to all our passengers during this period.’

The RMT has called three more 24-hour strikes on most train operators in England, as the year-long dispute over pay and conditions continues. The new walkouts are to be staged on 20, 22 and 29 July, and are set to create major disruption once again. The drivers’ union ASLEF has already called an overtime ban from 3 to 8 July. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: ‘This latest phase of action will show the country just how important railway staff are to the running of the rail industry. My team of negotiators and I are available 24/7 for talks with the train operating companies and government ministers. Yet quite incredibly neither party has made any attempt whatsoever to arrange any meetings or put forward a decent offer that can help us reach a negotiated solution. ‘The government continues to shackle the companies and will not allow them to put forward a package that can settle this dispute. Our members have now voted three times to take strike action over the last 12 months – the most of recent of which coincided with having the full details of the substandard offer from the rail operators. ’They voted by 9 to 1 to renew their strike mandate and RMT will continue its industrial campaign until we reach a negotiated settlement on pay, working conditions and job security.’ The Department for Transport said: ‘The RMT leadership’s decision to call strikes targeting two iconic international sporting events, as children and families begin their summer holidays, will disrupt people’s plans across the country. After a year of industrial action, passengers and rail workers alike are growing tired of union bosses playing politics with their lives. It’s high time the union leaders realised that strikes no longer have the impact they once did and are simply driving people away from the railway. ‘This Government has played its part by facilitating fair and reasonable pay offers that would see generous increases for rail workers. Union leaders should do the right thing and give their members a chance to vote on these pay offers.’

The last Scottish sleeper services operated by the private sector will run tonight. The Scottish Government has terminated the Serco Caledonian Sleeper franchise, which began in 2015. The services between the Highlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow and London will be controlled in future by a public sector company. On 5 October last year, Scottish transport secretary Jenny Gilruth had said: ‘Serco Caledonian Sleepers Limited has been advised that its proposal to rebase the Franchise Agreement with Scottish Ministers for the provision of Caledonian Sleeper rail services has been rejected on the grounds of not representing value for money to the public. ‘A notice was served today which confirms that the Scottish Ministers will terminate the Franchise Agreement with Serco Caledonian Sleepers Limited on 25 June 2023.’ In a farewell message, the managing director of Serco’s transport business John Whitehurst said: ‘We are immensely proud of everything that we have achieved since we were awarded the contract to run the Caledonian Sleeper in 2014. ‘During the eight years since Serco’s inaugural services departed, we have brought about massive improvements to every aspect of the service for our employees, our passengers and for Scotland, despite having made significant losses on the contract. ‘These improvements have been an extraordinary achievement by everyone involved in running the service and we are grateful to everyone for their hard work, and we wish them all good luck and a great future. We hand the Caledonian Sleeper over to the Scottish Government in great shape, secure in the knowledge that this is now a world class service that represents the best of Scotland.’

A new GWR station in the southern suburbs of Exeter will open on 4 July. Marsh Barton station has cost £16 million. The project was managed by Devon County Council in collaboration with GWR and Network Rail, and the station was built by civil engineers GRAHAM Group Ltd. The two-platform station, on the Great Western Main Line south of Exeter St Thomas, will provide new links to Alphington, Marsh Barton and the Riverside Valley Park. A new pedestrian and cycle bridge over the railway had already opened in April. The station will not be staffed, but it is equipped with ticket machines, departure screens, shelters and help points. Trains between Paignton and Exmouth will call once an hour, with two trains an hour at peak times. The first train at the new station will be the 05.34 from Exeter St Davids to Paignton, which is due to call at 05.38. Devon County Council cabinet member for climate change, environment and transpor  Andrea Davis said: ‘It’s excellent news that the station has passed all the necessary checks and that it can now open to passengers. The station will be a huge asset to this part of Exeter, providing convenient access to Marsh Barton trading estate as well as connecting with active links to access other areas of the city.’ GWR business development director Tom Pierpoint added: ‘New stations such as this are vital in bringing the railway closer to people as we become mindful of the need to live and travel more sustainably. Marsh Barton will help to ease congestion on some of Exeter’s busiest roads and offer a more environmentally friendly option for those who normally drive into the area. Marsh Barton is one of three GWR stations to open this year along with Portway Park & Ride in Bristol and Reading Green Park.’

Carbon cuts ++ The Railway Industry Association has warned that the rate of reducing railway carbon emissions is ‘lagging behind other transport modes by some distance’. RIA was reacting to the government’s response to a Commons Transport Committee report, in which the government says it only ‘partially agrees’ with the Committee’s call for a long-term decarbonisation plan. RIA technical director David Clarke said: ‘This isn’t just bad news for rail decarbonisation, it makes reaching Net Zero by 2050 less likely. All the government’s commitments need to be achieved if the UK is to reach Net Zero. A lack of progress in any one area jeopardizes the whole plan. In its response to the Committee’s report, the DfT says that the Great British Railways Transition Team will “bring forward costed options” for rail decarbonisation, something which we need to see as soon as possible. Alongside this, we need some flesh on the bone when it comes to the Integrated Rail Plan, including a response to the Committee’s report on the plan, which is currently eight months overdue.’ Interchange ++ Scottish transport minister Fiona Hyslop has opened the newly-modernised transport interchange at Motherwell. Ms Hyslop was joined by ScotRail chief operating officer Joanne Maguire, North Lanarkshire councillor Paul Kelly and SPT chief executive Valerie Davidson. The concourse has been enlarged, the forecourt improved and waiting areas upgraded. Links between trains and buses have also been made more effective. Charity ++ The Railway Benefit Fund is seeking a new chief executive to lead the charity through its next stage of growth and development. Current CEO Claire Houghton announced her retirement earlier this year. Claire’s departure provides an opportunity for a person with ‘vision, drive, and passion’, the charity said. The deadline for applications is 26 June.

The drivers’ union ASLEF has taken new action in its continuing pay dispute, by calling an overtime ban from 3 to 8 July. The ban will affect most National Rail operators in England, and it follows the latest ballot of the union’s members, who voted last week to continue strikes and other industrial action. In most cases fewer than 10 per cent of those who voted opposed more action. ASLEF general secretary Mick Whelan said: ‘Once again we find ourselves with no alternative but to take this action. We have continually come to the negotiating table in good faith, seeking to resolve the dispute. Sadly, it is clear from the actions of both the train operating companies and the government that they do not want an end to the dispute. Their goals appear to be to continue industrial strife and to do down our industry. ‘We don't want to inconvenience the public. We just want to see our members paid fairly during a cost of living crisis when inflation is running at above 10 per cent, and to not see our terms and conditions taken away. ‘It's time for the government and the companies to think again and look for a resolution.’

The King¹s first birthday honours list has included several people in the railway industry. The executive director of Transport for West Midlands Anne Shaw has received an OBE, in recognition of the key part she played in planning transport during the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. There is an MBE for Southeastern’s general manager for the operator’s North area, Sonia Maulson. She has more than 30 years of railway service, which includes being the first female train driver at Southeastern's Grove Park depot in Lewisham. More recently she has helped to manage the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on Southeastern, and also made an ‘enormous contribution’ during the mourning for the late Queen last September. Merseyrail’s community involvement manager Sally Ralston has received a British Empire Medal for her services to the community. She was nominated for her work leading the community engagement programme at Merseyrail, which over the years has raised nearly to £1 million for local charities and other community organisations. Alison Hanscomb of GWR, who was station manager at Slough for 11 years before taking on a new post last month, has received a British Empire Medal for meritorious service. In 2017 she welcomed Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh to Slough when GWR recreated Queen Victoria’s historic first Royal train journey to London Paddington in 1842. Alison also helped oversee the plans as GWR welcomed thousands of people travelling to Windsor for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding in 2018, and last year she played a major part during Queen Elizabeth’s funeral. Six Transport for London staff have also been included in the King’s list. They are Monica Cooney (MBE), Winsome Hull (BEM), Howard Smith (OBE) and Christian Van der Nest (OBE), as well as former employees Gareth Powell (OBE) and Sharon Young (MBE). Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: ‘In a year where the eyes of the world have once more been on London, their expertise and hard work have helped ensure the smooth running of the capital for Londoners and visitors to our city.’

Fares on ScotRail will rise by 4.8 per cent on 3 July, having been frozen since January last year. The prices of season tickets and flexi-passes will not be going up, however. In addition, ScotRaiil, which was renationalised last year, is planning to abolish peak time fares for six months, in a pilot scheme. The unions and opposition politicians have criticised the increase, although it is less than March’s rise in England and Wales, which was 5.9 per cent. Transport secretary Mairi McAllan said: ‘The Scottish Government rightly made the decision to freeze fares as part of its response to the cost-of-living crisis. While this has now remained in place for around 18 months, it is simply no longer sustainable. ‘From 3 July 2023, ScotRail fares will increase by 4.8 per cent, compared to 5.9 per cent fares rise across the rest of Great Britain, current RPI of 8.7 per cent and the August 2022 RPI rate of 12.3 per cent. ‘This fares rise does not include season tickets and flexi-passes which will remain frozen at current prices, ensuring those who use rail frequently are not discouraged from continuing to do so. ‘We know that any increase is unwelcome for passengers, therefore we have kept the rise as low as possible to maintain the attractiveness and affordability of rail as a travel option. We aim to continue this approach with the peaks fares removal pilot from October this year.’ Labour's transport spokesman Alex Rowley described the rise as ‘eye-watering’, and he warned that it ‘will hit the lowest paid workers hardest’. He continued: ‘Our railways are already unreliable and overpriced, and now these punitive fare hikes will drive even more people off trains.’