British Transport Police first UK force to arm volunteers with tasers TRANSPORT POLICE The British Transport Police has become the first police force in the UK to arm its volunteer policemen with tasers. From today, 22 British Transport Police volunteer officers will be carrying a taser while on duty after they received a three-day course on how to use the weapon. The move was announced last week by [...]
DfT urges union to go back to negotiating table following “disappointing” rail strike ballot STRIKE The Department for Transport (DfT) has urged the RMT union to go back to the negotiating table after a strike was announced last night following a 34-day ballot. “Strikes should always be the last resort, not the first, so it is hugely disappointing and premature that the RMT is calling for industrial action before even [...]
Fresh strikes to hit millions of commuters as railway workers vote in favour of industrial action STRIKE Commuters will need to brace themselves for a new wave of strikes after members of the RMT union working in the railway industry have decided in favour of nation-wide industrial action. The RMT announced the ballot’s results, adding that 71 per cent of workers balloted took part in the vote with an 89 per cent [...]
UK to prioritise safety critical goods if rail strikes impact the whole network May 24, 2022 The UK will prioritise safety critical goods – including food and products needed for the energy and construction industries – if the rail strikes go ahead and disrupt the wider network. The government could be forced to reduce passenger services to make way for freight, causing significant disruption to travellers. “We will have to prioritise [...]
Passengers brace for Platinum Jubilee travel chaos as rail operators warn of engineering works May 17, 2022 Passengers coming to London will need to brace for travel chaos as rail operators warn of engineering works planned during the Bank Holiday weekend. Travellers were warned to check before they travelled into the capital for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee as services on several routes are expected to experience cancellations and disruption. Southern services between [...]
Rail could cost £6bn per year without government reform May 17, 2022 Maintaining the railway sector without government reform could cost up to £6bn of taxpayers’ money a year, warned a report published today. An analysis by UK think tank Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) argued that without a complete makeover, the network will fall into a decline and underinvestment scenario that could force the government to [...]
Railway industry sets up contingency plans ahead of potential RMT strike May 16, 2022 The UK railway industry has set several contingency plans ahead of a potential strike by the union RMT, which could involve up to 40,000 workers. Network Rail said it had measures in place to “better understand the disruption it may cause to passengers and freight services.” The government-owned railway operator said it was working with [...]
Flower Power: Network Rail to boost travellers’ mental health with flower compositions May 9, 2022 Network Rail has announced it will start displaying flower compositions in UK train stations as a way to boost travellers’ mental health. While the railway operator hopes it will “lift people’s spirits,” the Better Journeys’ initiative aims to raise awareness of the Hub of Hope app, which helps people access mental health support. Installations will [...]
Rail fares could soar by 12 per cent amid inflationary spikes May 5, 2022 Railway users could soon enough see the price of their tickets soar as a result of inflation spiking to 7 per cent and not showing any sign of easing. Economists argued fares could go up as high as 12 per cent from next year if the government doesn’t untie the increase in inflation rates and [...]
Unions warn rail cuts could increase the risk of crashes May 4, 2022 Reported railway cuts could increase the risk of serious crashes, according to trade unions. A report published today by the Trade Unions Congress (TUC) accused Network Rail of planning to cut around 2,5000 maintenance jobs as part of a £100m annual spending reduction, leading to the loss of 2,500 jobs. According to the TUC, cutting [...]