CROWD MANAGEMENT

Our ref: HSR

Head Office Circular: NP/128/25

30^th July 2025

To: The Secretary,

All Branches and Regional Councils

 

Dear Colleague

 

CROWD MANAGEMENT

 

Your Liverpool No. 5 branch submitted the following resolution:

 

The members from a number of TOCs, Network Rail and Outsourced Companies represented at Liverpool No5 have serious concerns and were shocked and appalled at the lack of planning for the services in and out of Liverpool and many station servicing the routes to Liverpool on Monday 26th May. The city of Liverpool hosted the LFC cup parade, the visit of the Queen Anne cruise ship and the Radio One Big Weekend music festival. 

 

It was evident from the start that there was no clear plan in place as TOC’s (Avanti, EMR, LNWR/WMT, Northern, TFW, TPE) Merseyrail and Network rail began to struggle as the morning progressed. Avanti West coast and LNWR trains were so full that do not stop orders were issued for Crewe and Runcorn stations due to overcrowded trains, which in turn left stations dangerously overcrowded, as was seen on social media and many news outlets. 

 

Following the parade many people made their way back to Lime Street station. Where they were met by a failed queuing system with no guidance or updates from any TOC’s or Network rail. Due to the amount of people queuing and unable to get into the station most trains left virtually empty. The chaos again could be clearly seen on all social media platforms and local news outlets. Many people were afraid for their families as they were stood in the wind and rain and left panicking on how to get home when the station was closed by Network Rail, which increased overstretched services on Merseyrail, Frontline staff working that day have also raised how this has impacted them as they also struggled with the situation and became worried for their own safety.

 

We request that the NEC instruct the GS to contact all TOCs listed, Network Rail and Merseyrail to hold a joint enquiry and to include RMT representatives. This is to understand the planning process and what went wrong so these sad events don’t happen again.

 

We also call for application of the Safety Representative and Safety Committee regulations to ensure multi-employer Safety Committees are set up involving our representatives for major events, whilst there are multi-employer planned group inspections, this does not happen for event planning. 

 

At its meeting on 29^th July 2025, your National Executive Committee noted and adopted the following report from its health and safety subcommittee:

 

We note the resolution from our Liverpool No. 5 branch, for which it is thanked.

 

We also note with concern the photographic evidence supplied by the branch secretary.

 

The General Secretary is instructed to act in line with the sentiments of the resolution and contact all the TOCs listed, Network Rail and Merseyrail to hold a joint enquiry which will include RMT representatives, in order to understand the planning process and what went wrong, and to ensure that such events not to happen again.

 

The General Secretary is further instructed to call for the application of the Safety Representative and Safety Committee regulations to ensure multi-employer safety committees are set up involving our representatives for future major events.

 

The General Secretary is also instructed to seek an updated report from the lead officer before placing this matter back before this NEC.

 

Branches and Regional Councils to be advised.

 

I am acting in line with these instructions. 

 

Please bring this circular to the attention of all relevant members.

 

Yours sincerely

 

Eddie Dempsey, 

General Secretary