Train managers at Chiltern Railways plan strikes over safety

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 9 Oct, 10:55 · Archive

Train managers at Chiltern Railways will strike on Saturday over a dispute about safety on new East West Rail services.

Train managers at Chiltern Railways will stage a 24-hour strike on Saturday in a dispute over safety on proposed East West Rail services. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union will walk out again on October 17 if the row is not resolved.

The RMT says the company has refused to provide guarantees over the safety-critical role of the second person on board planned for East West Rail services between Oxford and Milton Keynes. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said the driver-only operation proposed on East West represented a 'significant risk' to safety and current train manager roles at Chiltern.

Chiltern Railways said more than 93 per cent of its services will run on both Saturdays and the normal number of trains will run into and out of London Marylebone. Tony Baxter, interim managing director of Chiltern Railways, said every East West Rail service will have two people on board: the driver and a colleague looking after passengers. He said Chiltern has run most of its trains with the driver in control of the doors for decades with approval from the independent rail regulator, and that the new services will create over 100 permanent jobs.

How it is being reported

• Train staff srikes to begin tomorrowTrain managers at a railway operator are to stage the first of two 24-hour strikes on Saturday in a dispute over safety.Oxfordshire Guardian · 9 Oct, 10:16
• Train staff srikes to begin tomorrowTrain managers at a railway operator are to stage the first of two 24-hour strikes on Saturday in a dispute over safety.Oxford Mail · 9 Oct, 10:16

In this story: Chiltern Railways · Rail, Maritime and Transport union · Eddie Dempsey · Tony Baxter · East West Rail · Oxford · Milton Keynes

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