Rail jobs, staff issues and training

RMT Virgin West Coast support staff vote to strike over ‘workplace justice’

16.11.17: RMT members of Virgin West Coast services have today voted massively in favour of strike action in a dispute over pay. Out of 1,460 staff polled, 1,330 said they were prepared to take strike action over a disparity in pay between drivers an...

DfT pledges ‘a million inspiring experiences’ during 2018 Year of Engineering

16.11.17: The DfT has pledged to work alongside industry partners and MPs to offer young people “a million direct and inspiring experiences of engineering” in an effort to tackle the skills gap. Coming as part of the 2018 Year of Engineering...

ASLEF and Virgin to create ‘next generation of drivers’ with new apprentice scheme

15.11.17: ASLEF and Virgin Trains have started what they claim is the industry’s first-ever driver apprenticeship scheme launched by a train operator, which will take place over a year-long period. Initially the training programme attracted ove...

NR tackles skills shortage during Tomorrow’s Engineers Week

13.11.17: Last week saw Network Rail graduates and students demonstrate their enthusiasm for STEM subjects in school. As part of Tomorrow’s Engineers Week (6 to 10 November), the volunteers visited schools to encourage children to consider car...

Testing tomorrow's technology today

09.11.17: David Brazier, site manager and area sales manager for the UK & Ireland at OMICRON electronics, tells RTM’s Luana Salles about the major testing benefits the company’s new training academy will bring to the rail industry. In...

Commuter misery as 48-hour RMT strike begins

08.11.17: Travellers across the country are enduring a day of misery today as five franchises strike. As part of an ongoing dispute about what the RMT calls an “attack on Britain’s train guards” and the extension of driver only operatio...

ASLEF members agree on deal to end long running Southern dispute

08.11.17: GTR and ASLEF have finally agreed a deal to end the long-term industrial dispute over Southern Railway. A deal was put to the union’s members last month and today the agreement was accepted by 80% of drivers. The pair have been a...

Skills gap costing industry £1bn a year, NSAR claim

03.11.17: The rail industry must do more to more to attract more diverse young talent into the industry, a senior figure from Network Rail warned yesterday. It was also revealed that the skills gap that is being created by a lack of diversity is placing...

RDG launches ‘single plan’ for railway with unions, operators and businesses

30.10.17: Almost £85bn of additional economic benefits are hoped to be secured by a landmark collaboration between unions, TOCs and freight operators, the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) has today stated. The figure is on top of the £31bn of econo...

Alstom to close historic Preston rail site

26.10.17: Alstom is to close a historic site in Preston, and move a number of jobs to a new facility in Widnes.  The Strand Road site, which has been a centre of rail production for 120 years, will close following the opening of its new Widnes s...

ASLEF to hold third ballot to bring Southern dispute to an end

19.10.17: Ballots will be opened to members of ASLEF on a proposed resolution to their longstanding industrial dispute. The disagreement between the union and Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), the parent company of Southern Rail, has been ongoing since...

National College for High Speed Rail opens doors in Doncaster

10.10.17: The National College for High Speed Rail (NCHSR) in Doncaster has this week been officially opened by education secretary Justine Greening. The college, located in Doncaster was opened yesterday and is the largest of five new national colle...

Teams of even gender mix perform best, NR finds

09.10.17: Network Rail has published a report showing that diverse teams perform better, particularly when it comes to gender mix. The report found that teams with an even balance of men and women perform the best, with teams that meet the 20% critical m...

Rail industry ‘already feeling effects of skills investment’ from HS2

04.10.17: Even though work has not yet started on HS2, the project is already driving change in the industry as the benefit from new investment in skills and innovation is being felt by organisations, a report has this week argued. The latest report...

RMT takes aim at May for ‘sabotaging’ deals with TOCs

03.10.17: The RMT has today written to the prime minister accusing the government of “sabotaging” any chance of a deal being made with TOCs in the union’s ongoing dispute. The union is currently battling with four TOCs, Merseyrail...