RMT alerts MPs and Safety Regulator over Greater Anglia

3 October 2017

RMT Press Office:

RMT alerts MPs and Safety Regulator to “potentially catastrophic incidents”.

RMT has written to MP’s and the rail safety regulator alerting them to two incidents this morning where Greater Anglia’s decision to put strike breaking before safety could have had potentially catastrophic consequences.

The first was the 0510 Norwich to Sheringham service where, despite the signal being at red, the Person Utilised as a Guard (PUG) gave two bells for the train to leave Cromer station. It was only because the driver noticed the error that the train did not past the red signal and an accident was avoided.

The second incident was on the 0615 Colchester to Ipswich service where astonishingly the driver became aware that the Person Utilized as a Guard (PUG) did not know where to operate the door key switch, as a result the driver, unlike Greater Anglia, put passenger safety first and refused to continue the service.

The union has stressed that these are only those incidents that have been bought to our attention so far and have asked that as well as investigating these shocking failures the safety regulator publicise all the incidents have been reported on strike days.

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said:

“RMT has warned that Abellio Greater Anglia are putting strike breaking before safety and these two incidents have confirmed our fears. A train passing a red signal or carrying passengers where staff do not even have basic knowledge of train door mechanisms could both have had potentially catastrophic consequences.

“These are only the incidents we are aware of so far and we have deep concerns that Greater Anglia are playing fast and loose with passenger safety. We are asking that the safety regulator demands of the company full disclosure of all safety incidents that have been reported during strike action.

“Instead of strike breaking Abellio Greater Anglia should be deal making.”

Ends

Notes to Editors – Letter to Rail Regulator copied to MPs below.

HSR/2/22
Ian Prosser, HM Chief Inspector of Railways.
By Email
3 October 2017

Dear Ian,

GREATER ANGLIA DISPUTE SAFETY ERRORS BY REPLACMENT LABOUR

You will recall that I copied you into correspondence on 21 September to Greater Anglia regarding their plans to use non safety critical staff or Persons Utilised as Guards on strike days.

In that correspondence I alerted you to an incident where a manager in training on the Ipswich to Lowestoft service released the train doors before the train was stationary at Halesworth Station.

I have now been alerted to two incidents this morning where the company’s decision to put strike breaking before safety could have had potentially catastrophic consequences.

The first was the 0510 Norwich to Sheringham service where, despite the signal being at red, the Person Utilised as a Guard gave two bells for the train to leave Cromer station. It was only because the driver noticed the error that the train did not past the red signal and an accident was avoided.

The second incident was on the 0615 Colchester to Ipswich service where astonishingly the Driver became aware that the Person utilized as a Guard did not know where to operate the door key switch. As a result the driver, unlike Greater Anglia, put passenger safety first and refused to continue the service.

I would stress that these are only the incidents that been bought to my attention and I would formally ask that as well as investigating these incidents you request and publicise all other safety incidents have been reported.

I would also request that you advise me what assessment has been made of whether there is an increased risk to passengers of using replacement labour on strike days and whether you as the safety regulator have agreed with this assessment.

I look forward to your response and as there is a clear public interest I will be releasing this letter to the media and also Members of Parliament for the region.

Yours sincerely

Mick Cash
General Secretary