Chiltern Railways train managers to strike in safety dispute
No Chiltern trains between Stratford-upon-Avon and Leamington Spa during strike
Train managers at Chiltern Railways are to stage the first of two 24-hour strikes on Saturday 10th October in a dispute over safety.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union are also due to walk out on 17th October if the row is not resolved.
Chiltern Railways said the vast majority of its services will not be affected by the strike, but passengers in Warwickshire are being warned there will be no trains between Stratford-upon-Avon and Leamington Spa on 10th October.
The dispute centres on the role of the second person on board proposed East West Rail services.
The RMT said the company had refused to provide guarantees over what it describes as the safety-critical role of the second person on board.
RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said the driver-only operation proposed on East West Rail represented a "significant risk" to safety and to current train manager roles at Chiltern.
"RMT members have voted overwhelmingly to take a principled stand against the watering down of safety on the rail network," Eddie Dempsey said.
"It is time that Chiltern management took our members’ concerns seriously," Eddie Dempsey said.
Chiltern Railways said more than 93% of its services will run on both Saturdays.
The operator also said the normal number of trains will run into and out of London Marylebone.
Tony Baxter, interim managing director of Chiltern Railways, said: "We’re disappointed that RMT members have voted in favour of industrial action over how we intend to run services on the first stage of East West Rail between Oxford and Milton Keynes.
"Every East West Rail service will have two people on board, the driver, and a colleague looking after passengers: checking tickets, helping people who need assistance, and on hand to assist with any issues.
"We have run most of our trains with the driver in control of the doors for decades, safely and as approved by the independent rail regulator. It also means over 100 new permanent jobs at Chiltern, and no changes to the roles of existing colleagues.
"We remain committed to working with the RMT to resolve this, and urge them to work with us so passengers can start benefiting from this new railway as soon as possible," Tony Baxter said.