Rail Cuts Cost Lives Campaign

Head Office Circular No: NP/11/24

 

TO ALL BRANCHES AND REGIONAL COUNCILS

 

17^th January 2024

 

Dear Colleague

 

Rail Cuts Cost Lives Campaign 

 

This year sees the beginning of the next five-year funding period from 2024 to 2029 on our railway called Control Period 7 (CP7). The UK and Scottish Government’s alongside Network Rail and the Office of Rail and Road have been going through a process to agree and decide how much money is available for our railway for the next five years and their proposals are shocking and pose significant risks to the safety and performance of our railway. 

 

In England & Wales there are proposals to cut £1.2bn from renewals budgets for CP7 alongside a plan to cut their Track Renewal Service (TRS) organisation which could make almost 500 highly skilled positions redundant and effectively winds up this operation within Network Rail meaning track renewals will now be completely outsourced to private infrastructure companies. 

 

In Scotland there are proposals to cut £315m from renewals which cover track, off-track, signaling, level crossings, earthworks, drainage, buildings, electrification and fixed plant, and telecommunications. Make no mistake, these cuts to renewals pose significant risks to health, safety and the performance of our railway as widespread operational controls such as “go slows” and weight restrictions will be implemented to mitigate against the lack of safety and performance critical renewals work.

 

A recent RMT survey of maintenance members at Network Rail found that 90 per cent believe a major railway incident is likely to happen in the next two years because of these funding cuts. 

 

Take Action Today!

 

In response RMT has today launched our ‘Rail Cuts Cost Lives’ campaign against these dangerous Government-driven cuts to Network Rail funding. We are demanding that the renewals funding for CP7 is immediately restored and that our railway infrastructure gets the investment that it needs so we have a safe, reliable railway fit for the 21^st Century. 

 

Please take two-minutes to write to your MP or MSP here and tell them to fund our railway properly!

 

• In England & Wales Please write to your MP here: 

https://actionnetwork.org/letters/email-your-mp-stop-the-cuts-to-our-railway

 

• In Scotland Please write to your MSPs here:

https://actionnetwork.org/letters/email-your-msp-stop-the-cuts-to-our-railway

 

Campaign Activities

 

Alongside the email campaign in February, we will be planning a ‘Rail Cuts Cost Lives’ Day of Action where we will be campaigning at stations across the UK. We will also be holding two campaigning rallies and lobbies at the UK and Scottish Parliament to send a clear message to the UK and Scottish Governments. All dates to be confirmed soon and campaigning materials will be sent to Regional Offices in advance.

 

Campaign website

 

You can keep up to date with the campaign via our website here: 

https://www.rmt.org.uk/campaigns/rail/rail-cuts-cost-lives/

 

Please bring this circular to the attention of your members in your branch. 

 

Thank you for your support

 

Yours sincerely

Michael Lynch
General Secretary