PRESIDENT’S COLUMN

The creation of Great British Railways represents a once- in-a-generation opportunity to reshape our railway. We have the chance to build something better: a railway that works for those who operate it, those who travel on it and the communities and economy that depend upon it. But if we are going to create GBR, let’s do it right. The railway is a complex industry, made more complicated by decades of fragmentation. Privatisation divided an integrated railway between train operators, infrastructure companies, rolling-stock leasing companies, contractors and countless subcontractors. Workers have spent years dealing with the consequences. We won the argument on bringing our railway back into public ownership. But we should not imagine that the argument is over. There will still be those who seek to preserve private profit within the new railway through outsourcing, leasing arrangements and complex contractual relationships. GBR must represent genuine change, not simply a new name. For GBR to be the best it can be, workers and their trade unions must be involved at every level. RMT has a multitude of knowledgeable people with decades of operational experience across our railway. That knowledge should be embraced from the very beginning. Our members understand what works because they operate the railway every day and drawing upon that experience will give GBR a much better start. We must also recognise that these are unsettled times for railway workers. Organisational change inevitably creates uncertainty about jobs, grades, pensions and conditions of service. Issues such as pensions and rail staff travel must therefore be addressed early. Staff travel is always relevant and always important to railway workers, yet achieving consistent arrangements across GBR should be relatively straightforward. These issues matter because they demonstrate whether we are genuinely creating one railway and one consistent railway employer. We should also use GBR to tackle the historic inequalities that fragmentation created. There needs to be greater consistency in grades, pay and conditions. Over the years we have seen a multitude of job titles introduced, sometimes seemingly designed to allow similar work to be undertaken for lower pay and inferior conditions. GBR provides an opportunity to simplify structures and ensure people receive proper pay and enjoy good working conditions. As train operators move into nationalisation, we will inevitably hear carefully managed narratives about the need for change. HR departments will talk extensively about employee engagement while attention is directed towards changing frontline roles. That deserves scrutiny. We will be highlighting where money is wasted on managerial roles that have no meaningful benefit, many of which were introduced to boost management numbers to undermine lawful industrial action. Workers feel engaged when they have secure employment, decent pay, good pensions, safe workplaces and good working conditions. They feel valued when their knowledge and experience are respected. Getting GBR right for workers will help get it right for passengers.It will need skilled, experienced and properly trained staff capable of responding to passengers’ needs consistently across the network. Stations and trains should be clean, safe and secure, with services provided by directly employed staff rather than being outsourced simply to create another opportunity for profit. Rail services across regional paths must be properly served and staffed. Investment cannot be concentrated solely on the busiest routes into our largest cities. Reliable regional connections support employment, education, tourism and local economies and help reconnect communities that have too often been overlooked. Our long-distance railway must equally provide a quality service. Passengers paying significant fares should expect comfortable, reliable trains, good Wi-Fi, clean facilities and proper catering provision. Technology should enhance customer service rather than become an excuse for removing the people who provide it. A successful publicly owned railway can contribute enormously to economic growth, regeneration and the transition towards a greener transport system. Every pound invested in rail has the potential to support jobs, skills, manufacturing and communities throughout Britain. We have spent many years campaigning for a publicly owned railway. We should now be ambitious about what that railway can become. Workers built it, workers operate it and workers understand it. Bring their knowledge onboard from the beginning will help put passengers before profit which will help GBR will succeed. George Welch President’s Column DO GBR PROPERLY 25 RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: september/october 2026 :: RMTnews