20 December 2021
RMT Press Office
RAIL UNION RMT today called on the Scottish Government to stop “playing fast and loose with people’s lives” following the publication of the Scottish budget for 2022-23 which showed cuts of £74 million to the railway infrastructure budget on the previous year.
RMT highlighted that these budget cuts come before the final report into the rail disaster at Carmont in Aberdeenshire which is expected in January 2022 and will likely make recommendations for the Scottish Government and Network Rail Scotland to increase infrastructure spending to ensure that a derailment like the one at Carmont is never allowed to happen again.
Commenting on the cuts to the Scottish rail infrastructure budget RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said:
“These swingeing cuts to the rail budget in Scotland are simply staggering.
“The Scottish Government needs to stop playing fast and loose with people’s lives and ensure that the rail network in Scotland is fit for purpose.
“The safety of rail workers and passengers should be paramount and it is utterly reckless for the Scottish Government to make these cuts before we know the full recommendations following the rail disaster at Carmont and I am today calling on the Government to reconsider”
ENDS
Editors’ Notes
- The Scottish Budget for 2022-2023 can be found here
- The Interim report into the Carmont rail disaster can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/978828/IR012021_210419_Carmont.pdf
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