18 February 2025
RMT Press Office:
Rail union, RMT has welcomed the government’s plans to unify Britain’s railways but says further action is needed to tackle inefficiencies and ensure long-term improvements for passengers and rail workers.
RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said:
“We will carefully examine the consultation to ensure it truly serves the best interests of rail workers and passengers.
“However, bringing track and train together to end the disastrous fragmentation of our railway and create a unified network is a welcome first step toward delivering a better railway for passengers and rail workers.
“The government is right to say that train operating companies will be brought back into public ownership, ensuring that revenues are reinvested back into the railway.
“But we must not forget that the profiteering of these companies is just the tip of the iceberg.
“The rail industry is riddled with inefficiency and widespread profiteering that extends far beyond the train operators.
“If the government is serious about saving hundreds of millions more and cutting fares for passengers, it must go further.
“The creation of Great British Railways should be the moment to bring the rest of our railway back into public ownership—taking on the rolling stock leasing racket and ending the rampant outsourcing of key railway operations to the private sector.”
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