KEEP NORTHERN PUBLIC

RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: march 2020 :: RMTnews 9 R MT accused Italian state operator Trenitalia of trying to force the British people into a £20 million taxpayer bail-out of their failing C2C franchise in the latest scandal to rock Britain's collapsing private rail industry. It has emerged that Trenitalia have underestimated passenger income on the C2C service and have racked up debts of £20 million. The company is now reported to be threatening to pull the plug if secret talks with the Government don't give them the taxpayer cash they are demanding. The public sector Operator of Last Resort is known to be monitoring the situation and is ready to step in if the Italians decide to throw the keys back. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that the crisis on Britain's privatised railways was deepening by the day. “The Tories have been forced to strip Arriva of the Northern Franchise, South Western Railway is on financial life support and likely to be the next to fall and now Trenitalia have taken C2C to the brink. This madness cannot be allowed to continue. "With the publication of the Williams Report repeatedly delayed we can smell panic right at the heart of Government as even hard-line Tories start to realise that the only solution that can keep trains running is to bring these basket-case franchises into public ownership. "For passengers and staff alike these constant reports of private rail operators driving services into financial meltdown is deeply unsettling and means we are running on an ad-hoc, short-term basis when we should be investing and planning for the long-term future. "RMT will continue to monitor the situation and while we campaign for the integrated, publicly-owned railway that the country is crying out for we will also defend the jobs and conditions of our members caught in the crossfire as the privatised franchises go down like dominoes,” he said. R MT has joined forces with passenger groups and politicians to launch a campaign demanding the government keeps Northern Rail public following the collapse of the franchise. This month, after years of mismanagement by successive private train operators, Northern Rail was taken into public control by the Department for Transport but a forthcoming Government review into how are railways are run could move it back into the failed private rail sector within weeks. Now RMT, politicians, passengers and campaigners will be at train stations across the North of England to send a clear message to the government that private franchise model is broken and must be replaced by an integrated, publicly owned railway from top to bottom. RMT general secretary Mick Cash said that private speculators had driven Northern Rail to the brink and its return to public ownership, joining the East Coast Main Line, should not be seen as a short-term fix whilst we wait to see what scheme this Government comes up with next. This has to be a permanent move followed up with the investment and planning needed to deliver the rail services that passengers deserve after years of privatised chaos. “ Campaigns Officer at We Own It Ellen Lees said that the calamity of Northern Rail was all the evidence required to see just how disastrous privatisation has been on our railway. “They've caused misery for passengers and it's a huge relief that their services will now be in public hands. It's vital that Northern stays public now, to avoid causing further disruption to passengers. "But Northern aren't the only ones. From South Western to West Midlands Trains, franchises are collapsing up and down the country. It's time to face reality - we'll only fix out broken railway by bringing it all into public ownership,” she said. Bring Back British Rail of Ellie Harrison said that the country needed a world-class, fully-integrated public transport network which everyone can afford to use, in order to address the climate emergency and tackle chronic inequalities across our country. “Public ownership and control of all elements of the network (rail, bus and more) is vital for delivering this and ensuring passengers always come before profit. “With plans for publicly- controlled bus networks in Manchester and Liverpool, a publicly-owned Northern rail is the final part of the puzzle. We cannot allow Northern to be re- privatised,” she said. Emily Yates, co-founder of Association of British Commuters, said that rail franchising was collapsing all over Britain due to toxic relationships between government and private companies. “There is now a great danger that we will see these same toxic relationships dictate transport policy into the future, via the completely unscrutinised ‘Williams Review’. “Northern passengers deserve a transparent and accountable system going forward, which means democratic public ownership with passenger and worker representation at its heart,” she said. ITALIAN JOB ON C2C ‘KEEP NORTHERN PUBLIC’