Wednesday 24 February 2010
ScotRail today said it was extremely disappointed that the RMT will strike on Monday 1 March after talks over staffing trains on the new £300m Airdrie-Bathgate line ended with no agreement.
Steve Montgomery, ScotRail’s managing director, said: "I am extremely disappointed that no progress was made because the new line will create 130 new jobs - and the trains are safe. They are the same as those which have operated in Scotland for 25 years."
He added: "It is difficult to understand why the union will strike, inconvenience our customers and possibly delay the reopening of the rail link which is funded by Scottish taxpayers.
"Having already increased jobs by 25% since start of franchise, this line underpins growth in the railways. It is also about investing in the future and about bringing significant benefits to the communities it serves."
ScotRail wants drivers to open and close the doors on the dual-staffed trains with a ticket examiner as the second person on board. The union wants a conductor to open and close the doors.
The train operator intends to run at least nine out of 10 trains across Scotland on Monday - as happened during the union's first strike at the weekend.
It also aims to provide 100% of services on many routes - including Edinburgh-Glasgow Queen Street; Glasgow/Edinburgh to Aberdeen and Inverness, and all services in Strathclyde, except Motherwell-Cumbernauld.
Mr Montgomery said: "It appears the RMT is saying these trains are unsafe. But they are no different from those which have operated in Strathclyde for 25 years - or those on the Larkhall line which reopened four years ago without objection from the union.
"I would also like to assure customers that should there be further strike action, we will do everything to keep services running as normally as possible."
The RMT has also announced it will strike on Saturday, March 13 - the day of the Scotland v England RBS 6 Nations game at Murrayfield.
ScotRail said it is available for further talks at any time.
Media inquiries:
Iain Wilson: 0141 335 4565 / iain.wilson@firstgroup.com
Notes to editors:
With regard to RMT references to the 2001 agreement - The previous franchise holder provided an agreement that there would be no extension within the term of their franchise. That franchise no longer exists and FirstGroup, as current holder of the ScotRail franchise, has never been asked to enter into such an agreement.
With regard to the 2004 letter - No promises were broken. First, the letter made clear that future new services could be driver door operated. Second, there is no agreement between ScotRail and the RMT on driver door operated trains - and we have never been asked to enter into one. Third, the Bathgate-Edinburgh service route will cease to exist from December when it is replaced with the Helensburgh-Glasgow-Edinburgh via Airdrie and Bathgate link.
The RMT was advised more than a year ago of the intention to have ticket examiners on board the services.
The new service will be subsidised by the Scottish Government which is reopening the rail link at a cost of more than £300 million.
To operate with conductors rather than ticket examiners would entail unnecessary and inefficient Scottish taxpayers’ costs and worsen journey time and performance for passengers.
It would cost £1.4m to convert the trains for conductors to open and close the doors. The modifications would delay the timing of the new route opening which is scheduled for December.
Nothing changes with the introduction of the new services - where part of the line already has driver door operated trains with a ticket examiner on board. Indeed, the majority of ScotRail journeys are on such trains - almost 47 million journeys a year.
The protection of the train is the driver’s responsibility on all ScotRail services regardless of the grade of the second person on board - a ticket examiner or a conductor. In so far as evacuation is concerned, all on board staff are trained in evacuation.
Appropriate safeguards will be put in place with regard to the new services. In particular, there will be methods to ensure the driver can safely open and close the doors - and there will be a secure radio system to ensure the signaller and driver can always reliably contact each other, without the driver leaving the train.
