4 December 2020
RMT Press Office:
RAIL UNION RMT today demanded the reversal of cuts of £1 billion to crucial rail investment plans warning that it would threaten jobs and consign Britain to the slow lane just when we should be investing and building our way out of the Covid and climate crisis.
RMT’s demand comes after an admission by the Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris that the new budget would be £1 billion less than the £10.4 billion previously pledged for the five year Control Period 6 from 2019 to 2024 following the Chancellor’s Spending Review last month.
This cut amounts to 10% of the rail enhancements budget and could jeopardise planned works to electrify parts of the rail network, threatening both the creation of new skilled jobs and the UK’s carbon reduction promises.
RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said
“These massive cuts to the UK’s rail infrastructure budgets are a shameful indictment of the Government’s understanding of the importance of our rail network and fly in the face of their stated objective of building and investing our way out of the COVID crisis.
“At a time when our economy and transport links need a once in a generation investment in rail to create skilled jobs and shift passengers and freight off the roads and on to rail this Tory austerity by stealth will only serve to do the opposite”
Ends.
Notes for Editors
Government answered this Parliamentary Question regarding rail infrastructure spending https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2020-11-25/120953
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