
RMT suspends Avanti strikes but Elizabeth Line drivers plan walkouts
Talks between the RMT and Avanti West Coast over the terms of rest day working have reached an ‘intensive’ stage. according to the union, which has called off walkouts by train managers which had been planned for the next three Sundays. However, ASLEF has announced strikes by its members on the Elizabeth Line in London after 95 per cent voted in favour on a turnout of 88 per cent.
The owners of the HS1 concession have unveiled a new name for their enterprise. From now on, the HS1 concession will be branded London St. Pancras Highspeed.
The RMT has criticised closures of Southeastern ticket offices, which it says were closed for about 70,000 hours or 2900 days more than they should have been between June last year and last month. The union obtained its figures from the state-owned operator through a Freedom of Information request. Southeastern responded by saying that ‘Any claims that we are trying to reduce reliance on ticket offices across our network are wholly inaccurate.’
Plans to reopen the railway to Portishead near Bristol are going ahead. The scheme had been included in the Restoring Your Railway programme, but this was scrapped by the government in July 2024 on economic grounds.
Transport groups have a long history, and they are still playing a major part in the industry at the moment. Whether they will still be doing so in Britain in a few years from now is another matter, says Sim Harris.
Train services in north west England have been badly disrupted after a car crashed on to the railway in a cutting at Salford. A man is reported to have been injured, although not critically, and he has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Regulated train fares on Transport for Wales will rise by an average of 4.6 per cent on 2 March, but some fares will increase by as much as 6 per cent. The average increase will be the same as in England, but transport secretary Ken Skates has blamed the continued existence of regulated fares on privatisation.