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Rail not safe in Tory hands, says RMT

Publication Date: July 17 2006

BRITAIN’S biggest rail union RMT dismissed Tory plans announced today for the re-privatisation of the track and the break up of the national network.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said confused Tory plans to hand over the track directly to the private train operating companies was a dangerous idea that would compromise safety and reliability.

"It's a bit rich for the Tories, who wreaked such havoc when they smashed up British Rail and handed it over to the private sector, to now call for the re-privatisation and fragmentation of rail infrastructure," he said.

The plans were announced following an admission by Tory leader David Cameron that splitting responsibility for trains and tracks was a fundamental error when the Tories privatised the railways.

Bob Crow pointed out that private train operating companies are interested in profits, just as Railtrack had been, and if these companies took over the track they would simply 'sweat the assets' in order to boost shareholder dividends.

"Instead of more 'horizontal fragmentation' of the track in the private sector we need to see the 'vertical' re-integration of the rail industry within the public sector," he said.

Bob Crow said that train punctuality had vastly improved since Network Rail brought rail maintenance back in-house over two years ago and the company should now take over train operations as well.

Ends

Notes to editors: Key facts

  • According to research over £800 million every year, or £15 million every week, is lost from the industry in profits and interest payments. The total figure could be more than £6 billion since privatisation in 1996.
  • Railways cost three times more to run than under BR. Without public subsidies, the train operators would have made a loss every single year.