Government defends handling of SWR’s future after union says passengers are left ‘in limbo’
The Department for Transport (DfT) has denied claims by a major union that it has left passengers and staff “in limbo.”
The RMT union has demanded the government provide an update on talks to secure the future of the troubled South Western Railway (SWR).
However, the government has defended its handling of the process.
“We have been very open and transparent with Parliament” a DfT spokesman said.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps spoke to the House of Commons on 22 January where he said SWR is not meeting the requirements of the franchise in terms of their financial commitments.
The routes it operates in and around London from areas including Surrey, Berkshire, Hampshire and Dorset have been beset by industrial disputes in recent years over disagreements about the role of the train guard.
Northern Rail was recently nationalised by the government through its Operator of Last Resort (OLR).
This, and the possibility of another short term contract with tightly defined aims, is also an option for SWR’s future.
RMT General Secretary, Mick Cash said: “It is now two weeks since the transport secretary put South Western Railway on notice and we believe that it is perfectly reasonable to demand to know what is going on and when he is going to make a decision.”
The request for proposals on Northern’s future was released in October 2019 with the decision announced last week, a timeline the DfT highlighted in the case of SWR.
A report by former British Airways chief Keith Williams will soon set out recommendations to the government on the long term future of the rail industry.