The RMT says it will be taking ‘co-ordinated strike action’ next month after talks with Network Rail broke down. The walkouts have been set for 3, 5 and 7 November, and are likely to cause major disruption because signallers will be involved. The union has claimed Network Rail ‘reneged’ on promises of an improved pay offer. It has also accused NR of seeking to ‘impose job cuts, more unsocial hours and detrimental changes to rosters’. Network Rail has denied the claims, saying that it made an improved offer by extending the guarantee of no compulsory redundancies by a further year to January 2025. It added that the union’s leadership ‘seem intent on more damaging strikes rather than giving their members a vote on our offer’. In separate disputes on London Underground and Overground, RMT members will also be striking on 3 November, while a ballot is underway asking RMT members nationwide if they support another six months of industrial action.  Bond Street Elizabeth Line set to open next week Transport for London said the final week of trial operation is underway at Bond Street station on the Elizabeth Line, which had not opened with the rest of the central section in May because construction had been delayed. The station has gained two new entrances at Davies Street and Hanover Square. It will also provide interchanges with the Central and Jubilee Lines.

Members of the RMT are being asked to vote on whether to continue industrial action on the railways between now and April. The ballot closes on 15 November. The RMT has already staged several strikes of staff at Network Rail and most train operators in its dispute over pay and conditions. Network Rail is reported to be making a revised offer, but no details have been published yet.  New transport secretary to be questioned by MPs New transport secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan is to face questions for the first time from the Commons Transport Select Committee at 09.30 tomorrow. Among the topics expected to be raised are the controversial proposal to require a minimum level of staff to stay on duty during strikes and the current policy on Northern Powerhouse Rail. She is also likely to be asked about plans to modernise the railways. First of new fleet runs on West Midlands Railway The first of a fleet of new Class 196 diesel units built by CAF carried passengers on West Midlands Railway from Shrewsbury to Birmingham New Street yesterday. The unit was named ‘Charles Darwin’ by the High Sheriff of Shropshire Selina Graham last week. WMR said its new fleet of 26 trains will have 25 per cent more capacity than the units it will replace. The trains include ‘intelligent’ air conditioning, plug and USB chargers at every seat and more luggage space. 

The first of two days of strikes by Unite members will disrupt services on East Midlands Railway today. EMR, which is owned by Abellio, has warned that it will be providing ‘a significantly reduced level of service’ today and tomorrow as a result of the walkouts. No EMR trains will run east of Nottingham, affecting services to east Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire. All other trains will run no later than 18.30, while only one train an hour will run on the Midland Main Line to London from Nottingham and Sheffield, although daytime services between Corby and London will run normally. EMR managing director Will Rogers said the strikes will affect the company’s depots, which ‘reduces our ability to run our normal timetable’. The walkouts will involve more than 140  cleaners, technicians, shunters, engineers, inspectors, lathe operators, team leaders and supervisors. The union says a pay offer of four per cent is not acceptable. it had already staged one 48-hour strike on 6 and 7 October. Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: ‘Abellio is an extremely wealthy company making millions in profit. Clearly, it can easily afford to make our members a fair pay offer and it should do so without delay. It should not be passing the buck on its duty to pay our members properly.’ There is more trouble to come at EMR’s Etches Park depot in Derby, where 70 staff employed by Alstom will strike over pay on 27 and 29 October. They will start a work to rule and overtime ban on 19 October, again over a four per cent pay offer. Unite warned that unless the dispute is resolved more strikes will follow.

Passengers on ScotRail are being warned that some short-notice train cancellations are likely from today as 2000 RMT staff begin an indefinite overtime ban. The ban follows a 24-hour strike on Monday after pay talks had broken down on 4 October. The RMT members now refusing to work overtime until further notice include conductors, ticket examiners, station staff, supervisors, CCTV control room operators and depot staff, including cleaners. ScotRail said the RMT had rejected a five per cent basic pay increase, a six-year job guarantee, a £500 one-off payment for the use of technology such as mobile phones, and improved maternity leave conditions. ScotRail also offered a further payment of £390 and improved commission for staff who deal directly with passengers on trains and stations. ScotRail is urging the RMT to put the latest pay offer to its members in a ballot. The operator’s head of customer operations Phil Campbell said: ‘We are really disappointed with this additional industrial action. The ban on overtime does nothing for the railway’s recovery during this challenging time, and in addition to the impact on those travelling, it will further cost our staff with lost income. ‘We do rely on staff working overtime in various parts of the business as we actively recruit to fill vacancies, and unfortunately there will be some daily cancellations starting from 14 October and throughout the period of the RMT’s ban. ‘We will do everything we can to minimise the impact, however there will be some disruption. We are continuing to meet RMT representatives to resolve this dispute.’ RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: ‘Our industrial action campaign on ScotRail will continue until we can find a just settlement to our dispute. We are open to meaningful talks with ScotRail at any time to discuss all the outstanding issues.’

The creation of the new ‘guiding mind’ Great British Railways and the passing of an Act of Parliament is likely to be delayed until the spring, according to reports, as government and Parliament remain tangled in wider political and economic problems. Official sources have declined to give any firm update, and the new rail minister Kevin Foster was reluctant to commit himself when he was a guest at the Rail Forum annual conference in Derby on Tuesday, saying only: ‘There's a new government. We'll take stock, particularly around the legislative agenda. I think we see in the not-too-distant future myself and the secretary of state will perhaps set out a little bit more detail on where we see the vision. ‘But also we're now starting to see what's going to be the type of demand, particularly on the passenger side.’ He added that some lines have recovered well from the slump in usage caused by the Covid lockdowns, but others are ‘much, much lower than that’. He concluded: ‘It does need to inform some of our thinking about the future.’ Meanwhile, the Department for Transport has been making progress in reshaping the former franchising system, awarding new National Rail Contracts to a number of operators over the past year. These contracts, which involve much less commercial risk for operators but also much less choice about how they run their businesses, are part of the proposed model for Great British Railways. Other operators are still continuing to function under directly-awarded contracts which are the remains of the Emergency Recovery Measures Agreements introduced in 2020. One of these is Avanti West Coast, which has been given a six-month extension to its ERMA amid controversy over reductions to its services which were imposed almost two months ago, on the grounds that not enough staff were willing to work overtime or on rest days. Some of the trains withdrawn then have since been restored, and Avanti says more are set to return in December.

Train operators are calling for the volume of freight carried by rail to be trebled by 2050. The call has come from Rail Partners, which is a successor to the Rail Delivery Group and lobbies on behalf of the operators for the greatest possible amount of commercial freedom, now that franchises have been abolished. Rail Partners says it exists to ‘make the railway better by harnessing the expertise and creativity of private sector operators for the benefit of those who use the railway and those who pay for it, including taxpayers’, and is responding to the call for evidence from the Great British Railways Transition Team about targets for rail freight growth. Its director of policy John Thomas says: ‘As we look to the reform of our railway, we cannot afford to underplay or leave to chance the opportunity to grow this sector. We must be ambitious and capture the demand we know exists and in doing so support net zero ambitions and spread economic benefits throughout the country. ‘There has been a subtle but important policy shift towards the sector in recent years, compounded by Brexit, the pandemic and in light of the legislative commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. ‘The market itself is also responding as customers look for low carbon routes. This is most notable in the tone and content of the Plan for Rail, published in May 2021 which our members welcomed. In particular it commended freight operators for the resilience they demonstrated during the pandemic to ensure that key freight flows were maintained, and the significant agility that rail freight, as a largely private sector industry, has shown in responding to changing customer demands.’ He adds that a ‘relatively small’ amount of public support is needed: ‘We want to see a wider use of incentives to help make rail the mode of choice for potential customers. An example is the Mode Shift Revenue Support grant, which has been successful in attracting price sensitive container traffic to rail from road.’ 

Transport for the North says it is disappointed that Avanti West Coast has been given a six month extension to its National Rail contract, which has been on Emergency Recovery Measures Agreement terms since 2020, in the wake of controversial service cuts. The decision was announced by the Department for Transport on Friday and it has already been criticised by the RMT, which is to stage two strikes of Avanti train managers in a dispute over rosters. TfN chair Lord McLoughlin said: ‘Our Members are naturally disappointed, as it’s communities and businesses across the North that are being impacted by this sub-par level of service that is undermining economic growth and the well-being of many people who haven’t been able to rely on this service for far too long now. ‘Returning to having a good, reliable service on the West Coast Main Line is a pro-growth policy that will benefit the North of England’s economy, and as such it should be a priority as the current level of service is just not acceptable. ’There now needs to be a clear action plan with transparent targets and consequences for the company if they do not meet them – and TfN are ready and willing to help provide oversight if called upon. What matters above all else is getting back to putting passengers first.’ Avanti has said the changes were needed so that its services would become more reliable. Some of the trains withdrawn in August have now been restored, with more improvements planned for December’s timetable change.

Very few ScotRail trains are running today because members of the RMT in general grades are staging a 24-hour strike. The action has gone ahead after the union rejected a pay offer on Thursday. ScotRail is warning that limited services will run only between Edinburgh and Milngavie, and from Glasgow Central to Lanark and Larkhall. These trains will be run by contingency staff. Passengers are being asked to travel only if they must. The RMT has also advised ScotRail that its general grades members will take part in an overtime and rest day working ban as part of action short of a strike from 14 October, which will disrupt some services until the dispute is resolved. ScotRail’s head of customer operations Phil Campbell said: ‘We’re really disappointed that the dispute with the RMT has reached this outcome, given the strength of the improved pay offer ScotRail made. ‘This strike does nothing for the railway’s recovery at this fragile time. It will severely impact our customers and it will also cost our staff through lost wages.’ Speaking to the BBC, RMT senior organiser for Scotland and Northern Ireland Mick Hogg said: ‘We are seeking a pay increase that reflects the cost of living crisis. Inflation is running at 12.3 per cent and what we are seeking is a fair settlement that comes somewhere near. ‘We feel 8.2-8.3 per cent is a fair offer. If it is good enough for the Scottish government to give bin workers and teachers a 10 per cent pay increase then it is good enough for rail workers.’ Meanwhile, the RMT has also declared strikes of train managers on Avanti West Coast on 22 October and 6 November, in a dispute over the what the union described as the ‘imposition’ of rosters. Avanti, which has just been given a six-month contract extension, said the new rosters would prevent cancellations. But RMT general secretary Mick Lynch responded: ‘Avanti are one of the worst operators we have ever tried to negotiate with. ‘They have treated our members appallingly and this strike action is the culmination of months of neglect and a strong response to the arrogance bosses have shown. ‘Avanti should never have been given any extension to their contract for all the chaos they have caused passengers. ‘And their contempt of their staff is part and parcel of their disastrous approach.’

Passengers are being warned by Network Rail and train operators not to attempt to go by train tomorrow, which is the first of several strike days during early October. Tomorrow will see stoppages called by the RMT, ASLEF and TSSA, and the joint effect will come near to closing the network in England. Walkouts by Network Rail signallers will also mean serious disruption in Scotland and Wales. Network Rail has estimated that about 11 per cent of usual services will be able to run. Manchester Piccadilly, Liverpool Lime Street, Birmingham New Street and London Euston will be among many stations which will be closed. Caledonian Sleeper services will also be affected, but trains are expected to run between the central belt and London. A second strike of ASLEF drivers has been called for Wednesday. Birmingham New Street and London Euston will both be closed, while Liverpool Lime Street will only be open for Chester services. Only very limited services will be running from  Manchester Piccadilly. A third strike, of 40,000 RMT staff, will be staged on the following Saturday, 8 October. Trains will run on main routes, but there will be fewer than usual. Last trains will depart between 15.00 and 17.00. A further RMT strike on ScotRail only has also been called for 10 October. Network Rail’s North West and Central region managing director Tim Shoveller said: ‘Despite our best efforts to compromise and find a breakthrough in talks, rail unions remain intent on continuing and coordinating their strike action. ‘This serves only to ensure our staff forgo even more of their pay unnecessarily, as well as causing even more disruption for our passengers and further damaging the railway’s recovery from the pandemic. ‘Passengers who want to travel this Saturday, and indeed next Wednesday and next Saturday, are asked only to do so if absolutely necessary. Those who must travel should expect disruption and make sure they check when their last train will depart.’ There have been talks between the government and union leaders since new transport secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan was appointed as the replacement for Grant Shapps in early September, but without apparent effect. RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that it was ‘encouraging’ that Anne-Marie Trevelyan had met the union. He continued: ‘We welcome this more positive approach from the government to engage with us as a first step to finding a suitable settlement. However, as no new offer has been tabled, our members have no choice but to continue.’ There is likely to be some disruption in the early morning of the day after each strike, Sunday 2 October, Thursday 6 October and Sunday 9 October, as the network returns to normal.

Southeastern is abolishing First Class when its new timetable comes into force in December. The operator has revealed that compared to 2019, before the Covid pandemic, it is now carrying 56 per cent of its former weekday peak passenger totals, 77 per cent of weekday off-peak and 90 per cent of weekend traffic, confirming a trend which has already been reported elsewhere. GWR, for example, has just launched discounted weekend tickets which allow travel on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays, but not Sundays, so that demand is not put under more pressure on that day. Southeastern also said journeys on annual season tickets are now just 15 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, and that more passengers now commute only on some days each week. The new service pattern has been criticised by consumer watchdog London TravelWatch, which is unhappy about reductions in services from stations like Hayes through to London Charing Cross, Cannon Street and Waterloo East. It says that as a result more people will have to change at London Bridge, which is already a busy station. However, peak time services have been restored between Beckenham Junction and London Blackfriars, and there will be a new all-day service between Maidstone East and Charing Cross, via London Bridge. Southeastern said its new timetable reflects the way people now travel and includes changes that will improve punctuality. The simpler structure also means that ‘it has the flexibility to alter train services as demand changes’. Southeastern’s operations and safety director Scott Brightwell said: ‘The way we all travel has changed and many of our customers are now using our services differently and at varying times of the day. ‘This new and improved timetable delivers a more consistent all-day service and means we’re providing trains, and space, where it’s needed most. ‘Our customers tell us that reliability and punctuality are their highest priorities. So, we’ve simplified routes to remove bottlenecks which will see more trains running on time, fewer cancellations, and a more reliable service. ’The simpler structure of the timetable, with most trains leaving stations at broadly the same time each hour, means we can add more trains s demand changes. ‘As we continue to recover from the pandemic, our focus remains on providing the most convenient and reliable railway for everyone who uses it.’ Meanwhile London TravelWatch is calling for more staff to be on duty at London Bridge because of the increase in passengers changing trains, and it is also hoping that Southeastern will be prepared to reverse the changes in the spring if that proves to be necessary.