18 December 2023
RMT Press Office:
Rail union RMT today criticised rail companies and Network Rail bosses for recent unacceptable failures over service delays and cancellations.
Avanti West Coast which is owned by First Group has come in for particular criticism from Northern Transport leaders who have described the levels of service as "unacceptable" and "inadequate."
First Group has published its latest yearly profits to March 2023 showing that Avanti had made profit before tax of £12.8m and paid dividends of £11m to shareholders.
Network Rail bosses have also come in for criticism over several reports of cracked and buckled train tracks throughout the country.
RMT has highlighted the need to stop possible cuts to maintenance in order to prevent delays and future accidents on the Network.
Signalling delays have also been reported this week near Liverpool and surrounding areas which RMT is putting down to short staffing and insufficient training at the regional operating centre.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: "There is abject failure across every facet of our railways and the blame lies with profit hungry rail companies, incompetent bosses and absent government ministers.
"The government sets the budgets and conditions for all the operations on our railway and they are directly facilitating poor services, huge profits exiting the industry and dangerous cuts to maintenance of the network.
"There needs to be genuine public ownership of the railway companies and infrastructure which both passengers and railway workers would hugely benefit from."
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