RMT slams plans for a third gamble on privatisation of the East Coast Main Line

RAIL UNION RMT today slammed the government for acting like “compulsive gamblers” after ministers announced a timetable for a third punt on the privatisation of the East Coast Main Line following the renationalisation of the route only ten days ago.

Despite the recent collapse of the National Express contract to run the East Coast line, and the previous failure of GNER, the government today confirmed a schedule which will allow another private company to have a go operating the service from May 2011.

The government have also failed to trigger the cross-default clauses on National Express’s C2C service with that franchise being allowed to run its course until retendering and re-letting in November 2011.

Bob Crow, RMT General Secretary, said today:

“Despite the blatant failures of privatisation on the East Coast, and despite the massive costs and disruption to the taxpayer and the users of the route, the government have now waded straight back in like compulsive gamblers with plans to take another punt with a private operator in just eighteen months time.

“This obsession with rail privatisation defies all logic and will be a massive vote-loser for Labour at the next general election with their core supporters. Recent polls show that over 70% of the British people oppose rail privatisation and yet they are being ignored by the politicians who seem to think our transport services should be little more than a cash point for the big private operators.

“RMT will fight hard for the East Coast to remain in public ownership and for the rest of railways to be run as public services not as an opportunity for the train operators to make a fast buck at the travellers expense.”