7 October 2021
RMT Press Office:
RMT demands an immediate halt to industry plans to slash rail services and jobs as new statistics show a massive increase in rail passengers.
RAIL UNION RMT today called upon the UK and Scottish Governments to immediately intervene to put a halt on planned cuts to rail services and jobs in the rail industry as new statistics show a massive increase in rail passengers over the last 12 months.
Statistics released by rail regulator Office for Rail and Road today show passengers returning to the railways with a 420% increase in passengers between April and June this year compared with the same time last year.
The data showing this huge upward trend in passenger usage has been released as Network Rail continue to pursue thousands of job cuts across their workforce and rail operators South Western Railway and ScotRail plan to cut hundreds of rail services from their timetables next year.
RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said:
“These positive rail usage statistics fly in the face of the Government and industry narrative of using the Covid-19 pandemic as a cover to cut jobs and rail services by implementing draconian austerity across our railways not seen since the Beeching cuts of the 1960s.
“Today my union is issuing a demand to the UK and Scottish Governments to put an immediate halt on these planned cuts and take this as an opportunity to massively invest in our railways.
"We need to show global leaders at the COP26 summit that we are serious about climate change and serious about having a railway and public transport network that is both affordable and accessible for passengers and one that truly values the essential rail workers that have kept our country and vital supplies moving over the last 18 months.”
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