(London’s BBC News posted the following story by Simon Montague on its website on April 16.)
LONDON — Industrial action by train guards will cause severe disruption on some routes on Thursday, on what is the busiest day of the year for rail travel.
Some train companies are warning of big cuts in services because of a third, one-day strike by members of the RMT union, in a dispute over safety.
Worst hit will be Wales & Borders, Central Trains and Wessex Trains.
Long-distance operators Virgin West Coast, Virgin Cross Country and Midland Mainline will also run reduced timetables.
Rail bosses are furious at the continuing action by the RMT, which is led by left winger Bob Crow, one of the “awkward squad” of union bosses putting increasing pressure on the government.
Scotrail boss Peter Cotton said it was a “needless, pointless dispute” about safety rules, which was “causing great inconvenience to the public while leaving the industry open to ridicule”.
He added: “Would local bus staff leave passengers on the pavement to go on strike about the Highway Code?”
But the RMT said it was “complete bunkum” that train companies could not agree with the union on a joint approach to possible changes in the safety role of guards.
“If we can reach an agreement with some operators, why not with others?” said a spokesman.
GNER and First are among companies which have agreed to more talks with the union.
At the centre of the dispute is a change to the safety “rule book”.
Both driver and guard used to be responsible for putting warnings on the line if there was a breakdown or accident, leaving no-one on board looking after passengers.
The rules were revised after an accident at Maidenhead in 1995, when a passenger was killed after he jumped from one train into the path of another.
‘Kit-Kat sellers’
Now the driver protects the train while the guard is responsible for passenger safety.
The RMT is unhappy at what it regards as a downgrading of the guards’ duties, reducing them to the role of “Kit-Kat sellers”.
But neither the train companies nor the union have any powers to change the rules.
They must put any joint proposals to the independent Rail Safety & Standards Board.
It has a well-established risk assessment procedure for considering any changes, which it says “will not be influenced by strike action”.
Train companies have been training staff in guard duties in order to run more services than during two previous one-day strikes.
They are also hoping some guards will work despite the industrial action.
The Association of Train Operating Companies said the strike was “cynically timed by the RMT to coincide with the busy Easter weekend when thousands of passengers are trying to get away for a holiday.
“We urge the RMT to call off its strike, and get back to common sense in addressing its grievances”.
The union is writing to the Transport Secretary Alistair Darling, seeking explanations for what it says is the “shadowy role” of government rail bosses.
The RMT claims the Strategic Rail Authority is using “tens of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money to indemnify train operators against the losses they’re incurring in this dispute”.