Our Ref: HSR/3/1
Head Office Circular: NP/233/15
25th November 2015
The Secretary
ALL BRANCHES
ALL REGIONAL COUNCILS
Dear Colleague
Network Rail/Aston University Online Survey
RMT are supporting Network Rail and Aston University in research seeking to establish the level of trackside welfare facilities. Network Rail has now made available an online survey which we are now publicising. In their publicity, distributing the survey to staff, Network Rail state the following:
We are writing to invite you to take part in an online survey which is designed to capture the experiences of working trackside on the railway network. We want to use the survey findings to inform options to improve the working conditions and experiences of trackside workers.
Network Rail has asked Aston University to do this because it has an established record in robust and impartial work in key areas such as this.
Network Rail wants to provide a good working environment for all our people and also to ensure we are an attractive employer to people who might want to join us.
Some people’s perception of the rail sector is that the work can sometimes involve working in remote locations, often without ready access to welfare facilities that are suitable for everyone. We want to address this. The first step is to gain a deeper understanding of the current working experiences of our people.
Participation in the survey is entirely voluntary. In responding to this survey, though, you will provide us with valuable information on your experiences of working on the railway network.
Please press here for link to electronic questionnaire
Alternatively the survey can be accessed at
The survey is being administered by a team of independent researchers at Aston University. Responses to this survey are strictly confidential. Nobody from Network Rail will see your individual completed questionnaire, or be able to identify individual responses. Any responses to the survey will be held in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.
At the end of the survey the research team at Aston University will produce a summary report of the results. Please be assured that the results will be reported in an aggregate form (e.g. for the railway network as a whole or by a particular route etc.) so no individual's responses can be identified.
The Survey is open until 20th December 2015.
If you have any queries about this survey please contact either Matthew Carter (Senior Research Fellow) at Aston University (m.r.carter@aston.ac.uk or 0121 204 3056) or Kevin Bowsher (Diversity and Inclusion Manager) at Network Rail (Kevin.Bowsher@networkrail.co.uk or 07739 786 966).
Thank you for your help with this important survey.
Please bring the contents of this circular to the attention of all relevant Network Rail members. All RMT members who work for Network Rail in the track environment are encouraged to complete the survey.
Yours sincerely
Mick Cash
General Secretary