March 2024
REGIONAL NEWSLETTER
Issue 17
CONTACT US:
North East Region
Your North East Regional Council can be contacted at: NorthEastRegionalCouncil@rmt.org.uk And on our X (Twitter): @RMTNorthEast
FIGHTING FOR A SAFE RAILWAY Activists from the region joined a rally outside the Houses of Parliament on 28th February as part of RMT’s “Rail Cuts Cost Lives” campaign. Speakers including Wansbeck MP Ian Lavery called on the Tories to ensure our railway has the funding it needs to run safely and effectively. The dysfunctional government has decided to axe funding to Network Rail’s budget, and the company plans £1.2bn of cuts over the next 5 years - this is starting to become apparent in our region, with Darlington No.1 branch already raising concerns about MOM cover being cut back and York & District branch moving a resolution regarding the issue. These cuts will absolutely result in a less safe and less reliable railway, and we refuse to sit back and allow this government to play hard and fast with people’s lives in order to ensure their friends can continue to line their pockets. Our ageing rail network needs more investment, not less; it needs to be improved, and this can only happen by increasing investment, not cutting inspections and track renewals. Our members working for Network Rail have already reported an increase in cracked rails and crucially major issues with drainage – all members will recall the events which led to the Carmont rail disaster and the serious implications this will have. Members on TOCs will know how long it takes for issues to be resolved and the massive rise in infrastructureattributed disruption: this will drive people away from the railway as they believe it to be unreliable.
We in the North East will continue to support this crucial campaign – we refuse to allow our railway to become less safe.