RMT calls for an end to Welsh railways "nonsense"

RAIL UNION RMT called for an end to private profiteering on Welsh Railways as four bidders are announced today to progress to the next stage in the procurement process to operate rail services in Wales and the Borders from October 2018.
 
The confirmed bidders are:
 
Abellio Rail Cymru
Arriva Rail Wales/Rheilffyrdd Arriva Cymru Limited
KeolisAmey

MTR Corporation (Cymru) Ltd
Mick Cash, RMT General Secretary, said:
 
“RMT believes that the Welsh Government will argue that they are taking this action because they don't have the power to run rail services in the public sector. That is an appalling situation which makes a nonsense of the whole policy of devolved government.
 
“RMT is also deeply concerned that the Welsh Government will use this process to allow the successful bidder to lever themselves into both train operations and infrastructure on the Metro section – raising the whole issue of vertical integration under a private company. It is simply wrong to hold up TFL rail operations as not for profit as Arriva are making a killing out of their rail concessions in and out of London.

“RMT is meeting the Welsh Government shortly to discuss their rail policy and the union will be calling on them to demand the power to run services in the public sector particularly as the Brexit vote will free us from the shackles of EU rail diktat. We will also be demanding that the publicly-owned Network Rail are not privatised by the back door piece by piece.

“All these‎ bids will mean that the foreign owned railways will be making profit out of Welsh services whilst the Welsh public sector is not even being allowed to bid – that is a ludicrous situation that we should be uniting to fight.”

Ends.