12 December 2016
RMT Press Office
RAIL UNION RMT releases text of letter to Ian Prosser, Chief Inspector of Railways, at the ORR:
Dear Ian
SOUTHERN GTR DISPUTE
You will be aware of press reports over the weekend with allegations made by RMT and ASLEF over train crew sitting around in mess rooms, available for work while services were cancelled by the franchise holder. You will also have seen that Southern/GTR have categorically denied these assertions.
RMT have been forwarded documentary evidence that prove the case we have been making. You will see from the enclosed documentation that all services between Bognor Regis and London Victoria and all services between Eastbourne and London Victoria, which were scheduled to run on Saturday 10th December 2016, were cancelled on 9th December 2016.
In the enclosed e-mail the Sussex Route Control Manager states that this “will leave a surplus of train crews”. Although the plan goes on to say that these staff can be used to cover “the no cover list” we do not believe this happened and train crew were left sitting in mess-rooms when they could have been running a service for the public.
As well as our continuing concerns that Southern/GTR are deliberately manipulating events to put the dispute in the worst possible light but they are more importantly failing their customers on a safety and an economic level. These two communities were effectively cut off from the capital for 24 hours in a wholly unnecessary way.
I would be pleased if you would examine Southern/GTR’s actions in this instance, considering all the evidence available to you and report back to me on your findings.
Yours sincerely
Mick Cash
General Secretary
Ends
Note for editors:
A copy of the route control plan for Saturday below:
From: Sussex Route Control Manager
Date: 9 December 2016 at 12:16:08 GMT
Subject: Train Plan for Saturday 1FXX & 1HXX Services WILL NOT RUN.
To all
Attached is the train plan for Saturday 10th December
All the trains cancelled in this plan have been P coded cancelled already
There are a couple of amended services again these have been done in TRUST
By withdrawing all 1F/1Hxx will leave a surplus of train crews that the RM’s will now be using to cover the no cover list, hopefully this plan will be sufficient but equally there may still be some additional cancellations on the day
There are some stock imbalances the following train will require stock
• 22:47 Victoria to Hastings
• 22:50 Victoria to Brighton
• 2E10 18:53 Littlehampton to Brighton
• 2E14 19:54 Littlehampton to Brighton
• 1F52 20:33 Brighton to Ore
• 1F56 21:33 Brighton to Hastings
• 1F60 22:33 Brighton to Hastings
• 1H62 23:20 Brighton to Bognor
Stock will need allocated from the following services:
• At Littlehampton: ex 05:59 from Portsmouth & Southsea – to berth
• At Littlehampton: ex 06:48 from Brighton – to berth
• At Victoria: ex 05:50 from Brighton 8/377 spare to be advised
NAME REDACTED
Route Control Manager
Network Rail Sussex Route Control Centre
REDACTED
REDACTED
REDACTED
REDACTED
From: NAME REDACTED
Sent: 09 December 2016 11:28
To: London SDC; Sussex-Coast; SDC Eastbourne; PM (Operations) Brighton; Brighton Station Supervisor; PM (Operations) Victoria; Control Point, Victoria; Platform Office, Haywards Heath; PM (Operations) Barnham; PM (Operations) Selhurst; All Fleet Control Managers
Cc: NAME REDACTED; NAME REDACTED; NAME REDACTED; NAME REDACTED; NAME REDACTED; Control Manager; Platform Office, Littlehampton;
NAME REDACTED
Subject: Fw: Train Plan for Saturday 1FXX & 1HXX Services WILL NOT RUN.
All,
Please find the attached documents for the train service tomorrow.
Could all stations please action the stop orders as needed.
Rms please use the attached documents for crew diagrams & to cross cover other uncovered work. Can we make sure the Coastway services from Brighton takes priorty over other services.
(All 2DXX Brighton-Hastings services to be formed 8/377 please)
**One thing to note is that 1F69 21.42 Hastings-Victoria will start at Eastbourne**
Selhurst RM please note all WLL services are cancelled tomorrow. All crews to be used on other duties.
Any questions please call REDACTED.
Kind Regards
NAME REDACTED
Unity House
Tel: 020 7387 4771
Email: