REVERSING BEECHING

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: april 2013 :: RMTnews 28 At the time of the 50th anniversary of Beeching Plan to ‘rationalise’ Britain’s railways it seems a good time to look at one of the main campaigns to re-open lines closed as a result of Beeching’s vandalism. The Waverley Route, through the Scottish Borders, from Edinburgh to Carlisle, was a Main Line route which was closed in 1969 by the then Labour government. The closure devastated the Border mill towns of Galashiels, Selkirk, Melrose and Havvick and left the region to increasingly become low waged with an increasingly aging population as a result of young people having to move away for employment and further education. In 1999 the Campaign for Borders Rail (CBR) was founded and one of its first activities was the collection of 18,000 signatures for a petition to the Scottish Parliament in support of the re-opening of the line. In 2006 the Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour of the Waverley Bill to re-open the first 31 miles of the route from Edinburgh to Tweedbank, near Galashiels, and in late 2012 it was announced that this section would be open for traffic in late 2015. This will be the biggest rail opening in Scotland since the Fort William to Mallaig line opened at the end of the 19th Century. A major contributor to this re-opening was the huge amount of research, publicity and political work done by CBR to promote the re¬opening. Rail re-openings in Scotland have all been a huge success with, in every case, actual passenger numbers far outstripping the predicted number of passengers in the so called business case. In some cases, Stirling to Alloa, for example, passenger numbers are double those predicted. Jackie McGuire, former lead officer for the Stirling — Alloa re-opening, told a CBR AGM that the re-opening had led to "increased economic growth and inward investment, improved community pride and confidence, created social benefits in education and employment, promoted regeneration, reduced congestion and emissions and promoted social inclusion”, clearly value for money. Already ScotRail and Network Rail contractors are recruiting new Staff in Midlothian and the Borders. The line will boost employment and bring economic benefits to the South of Scotland economy and when completed the line will be operated and maintained by RMT and ASLEF Staff, including those in my own Branch, Edinburgh No1. Your union has taken a stand by joining and supporting our campaign to re-opening the Waverley Route and that support is hugely appreciated. Across the UK there are re- opening campaigns to reverse the vandalism and damage caused by Beeching and RMT is taking a lead in the trade union movement in supporting those many campaigns. Re-openings lead to re-connected communities, and all the benefits mentioned above, and they also lead to a bigger and better network and more jobs and opportunities for those who work in our industry. The damage, destruction and sheer vandalism of Beeching can, with the RMT's help, experience and input, be reversed. REVERSING BEECHING Retired RMT member and Campaign for Borders Rail activist Lorne Anton says its time to reverse Beechings rail cuts RMT activists can now download top quality images and designs from the Organising Unit's 'flickr' website. Hundreds of photos that capture RMT's unique image have been uploaded as well as many poster designs. Alan Pottage said: "We encourage our activists to produce their own branch or Regional Council publications so we felt it would be helpful if we created a website where activists can download excellent images and designs”. Members can order a selection posters and leaflets from the org unit base in Doncaster (org.unit@rmt.org.uk) but they can also be downloaded and printed from the flickr website www.flickr.com/photos/rmtorganisingunit/. “We also design a new full page advert for the Rail News and Rail Staff magazines every month and these have now been uploaded. “No other union in the country designs as much as RMT, our designs are always eye catching and powerful - we don't pull our punches. It therefore makes sense to share the designs with our activists. “Our site is being updated all the time so we expect demand to keep increasing," he said. RMT DESIGNS AND IMAGES AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD BEECHINGS AXE: Dr Beeching holding a copy of his report which devastated the rail network and axed thousands of jobs