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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/jun/01/rmt-union-head-calls-for-transport-secretary-to-resign-over-rail-chaos
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| RMT union head calls for transport secretary to resign over rail chaos | RMT union head calls for transport secretary to resign over rail chaos |
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| The head of the RMT union has called on the transport secretary to resign after days of chaos on trains following the introduction of a new timetable. | The head of the RMT union has called on the transport secretary to resign after days of chaos on trains following the introduction of a new timetable. |
| Passengers on Northern, and on Govia Thameslink Rail (GTR), have seen thousands of services cancelled or delayed since the timetable was introduced on 20 May. | Passengers on Northern, and on Govia Thameslink Rail (GTR), have seen thousands of services cancelled or delayed since the timetable was introduced on 20 May. |
| “[Chris] Grayling should get out, the private companies he is propping up should be sacked and the vital rail services the nation depends on should be returned to public ownership,” the RMT general secretary, Mick Cash, said. | “[Chris] Grayling should get out, the private companies he is propping up should be sacked and the vital rail services the nation depends on should be returned to public ownership,” the RMT general secretary, Mick Cash, said. |
| The call for Grayling’s resignation came as Northern announced changes to its new timetable in an effort to reduce last minute cancellations. From Monday 4 June, 6% of the operator’s daily train services, 165 out of 2,800 daily services, will be removed until the end of July. | |
| Northern’s managing director David Brown said: “We have been experiencing some significant disruption to train services, especially around north Manchester, Bolton, Liverpool, Blackpool and up to the Lake District. I’d like to apologise for this unacceptable situation and for the disruption and inconvenience many passengers have faced. We’re truly sorry for this and are working hard to fix this.” | |
| By 2pm on Friday, almost one-in10 (9%) GTR trains were either cancelled or more than 30 minutes late. The company runs services in the south east. | By 2pm on Friday, almost one-in10 (9%) GTR trains were either cancelled or more than 30 minutes late. The company runs services in the south east. |
| Northern’s punctuality was even worse: 17% of trains cancelled or more than 30 minutes late. | Northern’s punctuality was even worse: 17% of trains cancelled or more than 30 minutes late. |
| In a joint statement on Thursday, Network Rail, GTR and Northern said the disruption was due to the biggest modernisation of the railways since the Victorian era. They apologised for the chaos, blaming delayed engineering works and a shortage of trained drivers. | In a joint statement on Thursday, Network Rail, GTR and Northern said the disruption was due to the biggest modernisation of the railways since the Victorian era. They apologised for the chaos, blaming delayed engineering works and a shortage of trained drivers. |
| Cash described it as disgusting that Grayling and “his private train company bosses” had “dived for cover rather than face the passengers they have hung out to dry”. | Cash described it as disgusting that Grayling and “his private train company bosses” had “dived for cover rather than face the passengers they have hung out to dry”. |
| “Meanwhile my members, working at the sharp end of the cancelled and delayed services, are bearing the brunt of the public anger without a shred of support from Govia, Arriva or the Department of Transport,” he said. | “Meanwhile my members, working at the sharp end of the cancelled and delayed services, are bearing the brunt of the public anger without a shred of support from Govia, Arriva or the Department of Transport,” he said. |
| “Not only is Chris Grayling incompetent and not fit to run a railway but he is a coward as well, leaving RMT members to take the flack for failed policies that are his responsibility.” | “Not only is Chris Grayling incompetent and not fit to run a railway but he is a coward as well, leaving RMT members to take the flack for failed policies that are his responsibility.” |
| Grayling provoked anger on Thursday by seeking to place all the blame for the timetable troubles on Network Rail, saying the rail industry had “failed the passengers it serves”. | Grayling provoked anger on Thursday by seeking to place all the blame for the timetable troubles on Network Rail, saying the rail industry had “failed the passengers it serves”. |
| Mark Carne, Network Rail’s chief executive, said there was no doubt the May timetable was finalised “significantly later than normal for reasons that were both within and without our control”. | Mark Carne, Network Rail’s chief executive, said there was no doubt the May timetable was finalised “significantly later than normal for reasons that were both within and without our control”. |
| On Friday, Grayling repeated that the disruption experienced by passengers was “wholly unacceptable”. | On Friday, Grayling repeated that the disruption experienced by passengers was “wholly unacceptable”. |
| “While this is currently a huge inconvenience to passengers as the changes bed in, we are investing in the biggest modernisation of the railway since Victorian times, and this new timetable will deliver hundreds more services up and down the country,” he said. | “While this is currently a huge inconvenience to passengers as the changes bed in, we are investing in the biggest modernisation of the railway since Victorian times, and this new timetable will deliver hundreds more services up and down the country,” he said. |
| Manfred Rudhart, the chief executive of Arriva, the parent company of Northern, told the Times the disruption could continue for another two months. | Manfred Rudhart, the chief executive of Arriva, the parent company of Northern, told the Times the disruption could continue for another two months. |
| “This is a bit like open heart surgery on the railway,” he said. “We have to maintain the service as good as we can on a day-to-day basis while taking drivers off routes to train them.” | “This is a bit like open heart surgery on the railway,” he said. “We have to maintain the service as good as we can on a day-to-day basis while taking drivers off routes to train them.” |
| The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, described the performance of GTR as “wholly unsatisfactory”. | The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, described the performance of GTR as “wholly unsatisfactory”. |
| Writing to the transport secretary on Friday, he said he would be “totally supportive” of a decision to strip GTR of its franchise immediately. | Writing to the transport secretary on Friday, he said he would be “totally supportive” of a decision to strip GTR of its franchise immediately. |
| Even before the introduction of the new timetable, the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, had demanded an inquiry into Northern’s “unacceptably poor” services. | Even before the introduction of the new timetable, the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, had demanded an inquiry into Northern’s “unacceptably poor” services. |
| Last week he was joined by Steve Rotheram, the mayor of the Liverpool city region, in calling for Northern to be stripped of its franchise if it failed to improve. | Last week he was joined by Steve Rotheram, the mayor of the Liverpool city region, in calling for Northern to be stripped of its franchise if it failed to improve. |
| Lilian Greenwood MP said she would ask the Commons transport select committee which she chairs to review the situation on both networks on Monday, which could lead to a full parliamentary inquiry. | Lilian Greenwood MP said she would ask the Commons transport select committee which she chairs to review the situation on both networks on Monday, which could lead to a full parliamentary inquiry. |
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