MP seeks inquiry on rail disruption
Monday 7th September 2009, 11:19AM BST.
Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard has called for an investigation into disruptions caused when a Midlands train company was forced to cancel all but one of its Sunday services.
Rail services returned to normal today on London Midland lines after almost all of its trains were stopped yesterday because of staff shortages.
Thousands of rail passengers suffered delays and disruptions to their journeys after the company cancelled all its trains except those on the Birmingham to Liverpool line.
London Midland, which operates more than 1,200 services a day to 149 stations, was criticised after revealing its drivers usually worked on a voluntary basis on Sundays and not enough staff volunteered to work yesterday.
Talks will be held this week between the company and union leaders in a bid to avert a repeat of the chaos.
The company said an agreement to increase overtime pay on Sundays from time and two thirds to double pay ended on August 30.
Conservative MP Mr Pritchard has asked Transport Secretary Lord Adonis to investigate the disruptions.
Mr Pritchard, who is a member of the House of Commons Transport Select Committee, said: “Hundreds of Midlands people use their trains for business and leisure.
“London Midland need to pay their staff a fair wage to work anti-social hours – and get the trains moving again.”
A London Midland spokeswoman said: “We have scheduled meetings with the unions this week and we will be contacting them today to discuss the fact that in their comments to the media they raised the issue of overtime payments as a reason for staff not volunteering.”
Shropshire Star on Twitter
Keep updated with the latest breaking news and content on our Twitter feed.
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Shropshire Star and Express & Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
Entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases.
OUR NEW APP
Get the new Shropshire Star app
Download the Shropshire Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
shropshirestar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
Dear Mark.
There were staff shortages, stop acting like these rail companys are nationalised industries they were as you recall but are no more i wonder why?
Report abuse
The previous ‘incarnation’ of London Midland Trains was called Central Trains. And exactly the same thing was happening then with them. Did Mr Pritchard and others call for an enquiry then?
Read the riot act to the train operating company. They should pay whatever is a fair rate for Sunday working. Mind you, I’ve never met a poor train driver.
Report abuse
I suggest that the poster who says he has never met a poor train driver has never met a driver.
Most of us are on less than £60,000 per year. It is sunday overtime that helps us out.
Report abuse
The blame here lies squarely on the shoulders of the train company management.
Many might think it unwise to have a work roster for Sundays that relies upon volunteers, but that was what had been agreed – and it was working reasonably well.
Then, apparently without agreement (or even proper discussion), the management decided to reduce pay, and expected people to turn out, on the same voluntary basis.
Why were they so surprised and unprepared when no-one did? What on earth did they think was going to happen?
Report abuse
£60,000 per year? £60,000 per year!!! My sympathy just went out of the window. What about the people trying to get to work on Monday when London Midland were still cancelling trains from Shrewsbury? I wonder how many of them earn even half of that. I’d volunteer to work Sundays if I earned £60,000 per year.
Report abuse
“Most of us are on less than £60,000 per year. It is sunday overtime that helps us out. ”
So that’s approximately 3 times what I am on in another, just as necessary, public service job – I can see why you’re so poor that you need double time instead of time and two thirds for Sundays.
Report abuse
I know several drivers. Most of you are on “less than £60,000 a year” eh?
£60,000??!!!!
A qualified paramedic gets about £30,000. Being a train driver is a responsible job – a very responsible job indeed actually. But its not brain surgery. Although you’d think so when you hear the number of signals passed at danger every year….
Like I said – you never hear of a poor train driver.
Report abuse
Yes, let’s waste lots of taxpayers’ cash on a public inquiry. MPs are used to wasting our money.
Report abuse
What London Midland did not think through properly is what would happen at the end of the agreement. You cannot blame the staff for not working when they are offered half as much. Train drivers are not on £60000, I think someone is causing mischief! While the MP is asking, he might want to bring up that they are sending guards out to run trains without equipment to sell tickets or equipment that does not work. In one case I have heard from an employee is that they have not given a float to one guard so has no means of giving change, how basic is that. I therefore do not believe LM are serious about collecting revenue. Maybe they are receiving too much subsidy.What is the penalty fares scheme that is being introduced in october?
Report abuse
I think “Train Driver” may well be a wind up!! Several members of my family work in the rail industry as drivers and not one of them earns even half of £60,000!!! I wish!
Report abuse
London Midland Train Drivers are on £33,000 pa
London Midland Conducters are on £23,000 pa
and station staff are on £18,000 pa
only the station staff have to commit to a set number of sundays a year, dependent on “bussiness needs” (THIS IS ON TOP OF THEIR WORKING WEEK AND PAID AT “SINGLE TIME”), Station staff have not been offered the same enhancements for sunday working!
Report abuse
According to the news tonight the managers of this shining beacon of private enterprise have decided to reinstate the double time for Sundays, whilst entering into talks with the unions to seek alternative arrangements for the future.
With that sort of incredible world-class wisdom and foresight amongst their managers, I think I’d find myself wanting to check they’d bothered to bolt the wheels on properly before I considered travelling on their trains…
Report abuse