Letter from Paul Plummer, Chief Executive of the Rail Delivery Group, and Gordon Wakeford, Chairman of the Rail Industry Association
I thought you would be interested to read the statement made by the Rail Delivery Group on Southern strike action, which is copied below.
Dear Sir,
On Tuesday, the Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling, set out an exciting vision for the future of the railway. At the same time passengers continue to be disrupted by unnecessary industrial action.
It’s time passengers knew that the dispute is not about safety. Independent rail safety bodies agree that trains where drivers control doors are safe, they have operated safely on Britain’s railway for 30 years and they already make up around half of all rail services including all trains on London Underground. Such trains are increasingly commonplace on railways across the world.
The dispute is not about jobs. Southern has guaranteed to protect them. Neither is it about customer service. Only in the most exceptional circumstances, where it reduces disruption for passengers, will a train run without a second member of staff.
Britain’s railway is the safest in Europe and nobody will compromise on safety. Rail companies want to modernise the railway to deliver a 21st century service for passengers. The customers of other industries have benefited from the harnessing of technological innovations. It is time rail passengers experienced the same.
Yours,
Paul Plummer, Chief Executive, Rail Delivery Group
Gordon Wakeford, Chairman, Rail Industry Association
Letter from Ian Prosser, Director of Railway Safety of the Office of Rail and Road
You can also find attached a letter from Ian Prosser, Director of Railway Safety at the independent Office of Rail and Road responding to a request from the Transport Select Committee to comment on the safety of Driver Only Operations (DOO). He is very clear, "DOO can be operated safely, provided that as with all forms of train disptach, suitable maintained equipment, proper procedures and competent, trained staff are in place".
Other points:
- Southern strikes – not about safety - Ours is the safest railway in Europe, and we will never compromise on safety. Britain needs a modern railway to carry ever more passengers. Modern trains include automatic door closure, which allows the driver to safely open and close the doors. This means smoother and more punctual arrivals and departures.
- 30 years of such trains - thousands of trains where drivers close the doors have run safely each day in Britain for more than 30 years, and they already make up around half of all rail services including all trains on London Underground.
- Independent safety experts say it’s safe - research by the independent Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) found that driver-only operated trains could be beneficial by removing the potential risk of miscommunication between driver and guard when opening and closing doors. The independent rail regulator, the Office of Rail and Road, has also said that such trains are safe.
- 30 per cent of trains - more than 30 per cent of trains running in Britain operate with drivers closing the doors.
- Ireland, Germany, Denmark, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada – are among the countries where such trains operate
- 23 per cent estimated reduction – in train ‘dwell times’ at stations, bringing improved reliability as well as faster journeys because the driver can use CCTV to check and close doors safely before setting off.
- Reduced disruption - today, trains can be cancelled if a guard or conductor is unavailable at short notice. When the driver operates doors, the train can depart without the second employee if there really is no alternative.