MERSEYRAIL – CLASS 777 – DESPATCH – LIVERPOOL FC PARADE 26TH MAY – ROCK FERRY

Our ref: HSR

Head Office Circular: NP/129/25

30^th July 2025

To: The Secretary,

All Branches and Regional Councils

 

Dear Colleague

 

MERSEYRAIL – CLASS 777 – DESPATCH – LIVERPOOL FC PARADE 26^TH MAY – ROCK FERRY

 

I received a report from your lead officer that there had been a serious breach of the Option 10 train despatch agreement during Monday 26^th May at Rock Ferry, the day of the Liverpool FC parade, when the network in the North West became overwhelmed with passenger volumes. During parts of evening Liverpool Lime Street was also closed, Moorfields was also closed, and after terrible Water Street incident, there were also short notice closures before a terrorist incident was ruled out.

 

It is reported that over one million people were in Liverpool on Monday 26^th May. Merseyrail did run additional services; however, the Rock Ferry shuttles, whilst removing passengers from the crowded city centre stations, caused passengers going beyond Rock ferry to change trains, leading to a crowded platform at Rock Ferry.

 

Due to the sheer volume of passengers and despite numerous announcements and best efforts of the train manager, it provided impossible to despatch the train in accordance with option 10 due to overcrowding. One must question the lack of crowd management at Rock Ferry. Authority was then given by Merseyrail control via the chief operating officer for the train manager to enter the front cab in line with previous procedures although it is now accepted this was for withdrawn class 507 trains and not Class 777 trains. This led to a despatch taking place not in accordance with Option 10 and seems to be a Driver Only Operated despatch due to the train manager having no role in the Platform Train Interface, with the train driver monitoring the cab cameras, and is therefore a serious breach of our agreement.

 

Merseyrail has stated:

 

•           Permission was given for the Train Manager to enter the driving cab, in line with previous procedures, which they accept where in relation to Class 507 trains.

•           That this decision was made on a one-off basis given the exceptional circumstances and overall risk profile.

•           They re-affirm their commitment to the agreed despatch method for class 777 rolling stock and they are not seeking to water down the important role of the Train Manager.

 

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 report on file from the lead officer, and that there will be a marked increase in footfall following the opening of Everton FC’s new stadium.

 

The General Secretary is instructed to act in line with the lead officer’s recommendations, namely write to Merseyrail and advise should there be any further incidents of this nature then a dispute situation may exist between our organisations.

 

The General Secretary is further instructed to seek regular updates from the lead officer in this matter.

 

Relevant members, 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