Union RMT warns of chaos on West Coast Main Line if threatened cuts go ahead at Network Rail

Over 1,400 rail maintenance jobs could be slashed by Network Rail, rail union RMT has claimed.

Around 650 of these posts will be on the West Coast Main Line, the busiest rail corridor in the UK, the union warned. It said the line would be thrown into 鈥渢otal chaos鈥� if the job cuts went ahead.

Rail workers
Up to 650 jobs could be cut on the West Coast Main Line

Bob Crow, RMT general secretary, said: 鈥淲ith the well-documented history of infrastructure problems and failures on the West Coast Main Line it simply defies all logic that Network Rail could even be considering axing 650 maintenance jobs as part of their national cost reduction plan.鈥�

Network Rail said no final decisions had been made and that it was continuing discussions with its employees and union representatives.

But it added that the new high-frequency timetable required a 鈥渄ifferent approach鈥� from how maintenance was carried out on the newly modernised West Coast route. 鈥淥ur plans to restructure maintenance depots will enable us to direct resources to where they are needed and enable them to be more responsive,鈥� a spokesperson said.

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