Rail jobs, staff issues and training

Merseyrail injunction bid against RMT strike thrown out by High Court

10.03.17: Merseyrail’s bid for an injunction to block RMT’s planned strikes on Monday has been thrown out by the High Court, with the union now confirming that industrial action will still go ahead next week. In a statement, the operator...

NSAR welcomes ambitious T-level plans for vocational education

09.03.17: Further investment will be put into technical education with the introduction of ‘T-Levels’ that were announced yesterday in the Spring Budget. The new programme is designed as an alternative to the further education routes into...

Are you ready for apprenticeship changes?

09.03.17: Dan Walker, head of apprenticeship delivery at National Training Academy for Rail (NTAR), explains how the organisation’s apprenticeship programmes are essential for employers who are serious about skills in the changing marketplace. ...

Looming RMT strike forces Northern to run just 40% of services

08.03.17: Northern has announced that it will only be able to run 40% of its usual schedule when union RMT go on strike on 13 March – operating approximately 980 services across “many, but not all” of its routes in the north. The op...

Liverpool Lime Street reopens early following collapsed wall repairs

08.03.17: Liverpool Lime Street has reopened to trains today, 24 hours ahead of schedule, after a rail side section of trackside wall collapsed on Tuesday 28 February, blocking all four tracks leading in and out of the station. Rubble on the tracks c...

New NSAR scheme to improve skills recruitment and apprenticeship management

07.03.17: A new system that manages the placement of apprentices, graduates and students in the rail industry has been launched by the National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR) and has already garnered the backing of 20 major rail heavyweights, including Tr...

NR launches ‘20 by 20’ scheme to inspire greater gender diversity in workforce

06.03.17: A new programme has been launched by Network Rail (NR), setting a target to increase the number of women working in the industry by 20% by 2020 in an effort to involve more women in the male-dominated workforce. The scheme, ‘20 by 20&...

RMT vote overwhelmingly in favour of strike against Merseyrail and Northern

28.02.17: RMT have today confirmed that they will take strike action against Northern and Merseyrail for their stance on driver-only operated (DOO) trains after their members voted overwhelmingly 81.8% in favour of the proposal.  Ballots op...

RMT calls for urgent talks with Southern to end guards dispute

24.02.17: Rail union RMT has called for urgent talks to be resumed with Southern in a bid to bring its long running dispute about guards on trains to an end after months of the bitter feud. The news comes as RMT executives prepare to meet next Tuesda...

Intertrain: ready for the future

23.02.17: RTM recently attended Intertrain’s ‘Driving for Success’ event in Doncaster, where leaders from major players such as Carillion and Babcock got together to celebrate the company’s latest cohort of rail apprentices. Luana...

Aslef members reject Southern deal as further strike looms

16.02.17: Aslef drivers have voted to reject a proposed resolution with Southern, therefore failing to put an end to the bitter 10-month dispute between the operator and rail trade unions.  The union’s referendum result comes a day after R...

RMT announce strikes as talks with ‘pig-headed’ Southern break down

15.02.17: Talks between Southern and rail union RMT broke down once again yesterday without either party being able to agree on acceptable terms, as it was announced today that there would be more strike action taking place next Wednesday 22 February.&nbs...

NTAR showcases VR tech training to rail minister

13.02.17: New virtual reality technology currently being used to train the next generation of engineers was put on show for the rail minister, Paul Maynard, when he visited NTAR’s Northampton base last week. NTAR provides up to 20,000 man days...

Aslef and GTR provisionally agree to end Southern row

02.02.17: Rail drivers’ union Aslef and Southern owners Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) have reached a provisional agreement which could potentially end the pair’s long-running dispute and relieve pressure on the beleaguered franchise. Asl...

Northern offers reassurance to RMT over DCO

27.01.17: The RMT union has received confirmation from Northern that the company is willing to guarantee the union a second staff member on board its trains. The union is now seeking a meeting with the company, run by Arriva Rail North, to come with...