NORTHERN HANDED TO DEUTSCHE BAHN

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: march 2016 :: RMTnews 6 G erman state railways Deutsche Bahn subsidiary Arriva will have their contract for the Tyne and Wear Metro ripped up with the service being taken into direct public control from April next year. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that it was a massive boost in the battle for public ownership and comes after years of hard work and pressure from RMT members and officials across the North East. "RMT will now press for the initial two year transition to be turned into a permanent arrangement for this essential public service. "This proves that the combination of a strong union and a relentless public campaign is unstoppable," he said. R MT has condemned the decision by Transport for London to hand busy London Overground services over to failing rail privateer Arriva, a subsidiary of the German state railway Deutsche Bahn. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that it was madness to hand LOROL services over to the German state as Arriva will have their contract for the Tyne and Wear Metro ripped up with the service being taken into direct public control from April next year. “The German state has openly admitted that it will be using profits from foreign franchises to run rail services in Germany. “It appears that this government is happy for other states to make profits from our rail network but not this state,” he said. A German Transport spokesperson stated in 2011: “We're skimming profit from the entire Deutsche Bahn and ensuring that it is anchored in our budget - that way we can make sure it is invested in the rail network here in Germany”. T he Tory government has awarded the Northern franchise to the German state railway company Deutsche Bahn. Local authorities in the North of England through a body called Rail North will jointly oversee the franchise with the government. Since 2007 Northern Rail has sucked passengers dry to pay £179 million dividends to the previous franchise owners Serco and the Dutch state railway. Now Arriva, owned by the German state railway Deutsche Bahn, has been awarded the Northern Rail contract and will begin operations on April 1, so helping to keep fares down in Germany. Foreign state-owned rail companies are using profits earned through operating franchises in the UK to keep fares down and ensure rail services are better in their respective countries. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that the profits had been acquired through ever increasing passenger fares makes the need for domestic public ownership even more clear. “ Its time our government nationalised our railways,” he said. According to Rail North’s own estimates passenger demand for the North’s railway will soar by 50 per cent over the next fifteen years. Despite this, and the clear need for investment, the government has stated that annual subsidy will be cut by over 50 per cent by the final year of the franchise. This will be realised through attacks on the quality of service available to passengers and the loss of hundreds of skilled, safety critical railway jobs. For example, the new operator is planning to remove safety trained guards from 50 per cent of the network in the coming years. “To add insult to injury, at a time when train building in this country is struggling to survive the German State operator has announced their intention to order new trains for the franchise from a manufacturer in Spain. “Something needs to be done – we need a nationalised People’s Railway for the North,” said Mick Cash. NORTHERN HANDED TO DEUTSCHE BAHN LOROL HANDED TO GERMAN STATE TYNE AND WEAR METRO BACK IN-HOUSE