SAVE THE DATE – RAIL CUTS COST LIVES – DAY OF ACTION THURSDAY 8th FEBRUARY

Head Office Circular No: NP/033/24

 

TO ALL BRANCHES AND REGIONAL COUNCILS

 

24^th January 2024

 

Dear Colleague

 

SAVE THE DATE – RAIL CUTS COST LIVES – DAY OF ACTION

THURSDAY 8^th FEBRUARY

 

Please save the date on Thursday 8^th February as we are holding an important campaigning day of action for our ‘Rail Cuts Cost Lives’ campaign calling on the UK and Scottish Governments to ensure that our railway is funded properly. 

 

As it stands for the next five-year funding period called ‘Control Period 7’ (CP7) there will be £1.2 billion of cuts to safety critical renewals in England & Wales and £315 million of cuts in Scotland. Renewals cover track, off-track, signaling, level crossings, earthworks, drainage, buildings, electrification and fixed plant, and telecommunications.

 

There are also plans to abolish the Network Rail ‘Track Renewal Service’ organisation, cutting 500 highly skilled job and likely outsourcing operations to private infrastructure companies. 

 

With increasing incidences of extreme weather events and a degradation of railway infrastructure, mass cuts to renewals and an increased reliance on railway maintenance will lead to massive reduction in performance and an increase in safety risks. Our message is clear: rail cuts cost lives!

 

On the 8^th February we will be gathering at stations across every RMT Region to protest these cuts and to raise awareness with the travelling public to support this campaign.  

 

Please watch this space for details of actions at a station near you

 

Campaign materials are being sent to Regional Offices for collection and distribution. If you have any questions about the campaign or would like to organise an action at a station please contact Martin Abrams in National Policy on m.abrams@rmt.org.uk or tel: 0207 529 8309

 

Take Action Today

 

In response RMT is 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

 

Parliamentary Rallies 

 

We are also planning a Parliamentary Rally in Westminster on the Wednesday 28^th February and in Holyrood on Thursday 29^thFebruary. More details on this will be shared as soon as possible

 

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

 

Thank you for your support

 

Yours sincerely

 

Michael Lynch
General Secretary