SCANDAL ROCKS DUTCH RAIL OUTFIT ABELLIO

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: june 2015 :: RMTnews 14 RMT has written to the UK and Scottish governments calling for a full inquiry into the involvement of the Dutch state railways subsidiary, Abellio, in rail contracts on the Anglia and Northern rail franchises and the Scottish government’s Scotrail franchise. The call comes after the Chief Executive of Dutch railways resigned in a scandal relating to a new contract to provide trains in Holland, with reports of dawn raids on Dutch railways and the Dutch government questioning how the company and some of its senior officials have been operating. The scandal has also seen the removal of and an investigation into the chief executive of Abellio who are bidding to take over the Northern Rail and Anglia franchises and who last year were awarded the lucrative Scotrail franchise by the Scottish government. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that if the Dutch Finance Minister believes the whole culture in Dutch state railways /Abellio was wrong and needs to change then there needs to be a full inquiry and for it to be clearly shown that there was nothing irregular with the award of the Scotrail franchise to Abellio or in respect of Abellio bidding for the Northern and Anglia franchises. The union has written to Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin pointing out that the company, which ultimately owned by the State owned Dutch Railways, was involved in a scandal relating to a new contract to provide trains in the southern Dutch province of Limburg and that chief Timo Huges had been forced to resign as a result. “It is reported dawn raids were carried out as part of the investigation into possible abuse of dominance and into possible other violations of the Dutch Railway Act by NS and its subsidiaries in the European tender process for the above contract,” the letter said. Dutch Finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem is also demanding an explanation as to why that tender went so badly wrong. The fact that it is reported that Timo Huges had given an ‘incorrect and incomplete’ statement about his involvement in passing on confidential information to a NS subsidiary during the process could cast doubt over this company’s whole approach. With the press reporting that an investigation on similar grounds into Jeff Hoogesteger, the CEO of GB based Abellio Transport Holdings Ltd has seen him also removed from office without any compensation. “For a Dutch Minister to be quoted in the press as saying "confidence in Huges on my side disappeared” and "the role of the NS requires a high degree of integrity, but it in recent years do not exist” must surely warrant a full and proper investigation,” the letter said. SCANDAL ROCKS DUTCH RAIL OUTFIT ABELLIO RMT demands public inquiry by UK and Scottish governments into Abellio REMOVED: Sacked Jeff Hoogesteger CEO of Dutch rail operator Abellio and Scottish transport minister Keith Brown as the franchise to run Scotland's trains for the next decade was awarded to Abellio