This is an Official Leter to all RMT Branches
www.rmt.org.uk
NEWS RELEASE
28th January 2011
Immediate
Last train tonight on Wrexham and Shropshire railways – the UK’s most popular rail service killed off by corporate greed
ALL STAFF employed by Wrexham and Shropshire railways will be on board the final 18.30 service from London Marylebone to Wrexham as corporate greed kills off Britain’s most popular railway.
The closure of the Wrexham Shropshire service was announced on Wednesday – the same day that Passenger Focus revealed it has been voted the best operator by passengers with a 96% satisfaction rating.
W&S is an 'open access' train operator set up about 5 years ago following a successful campaign led by RMT Wrexham branch with support from the Welsh Assembly government and DoT following a sustained campaign by communities and businesses in Mid and North Wales for a direct train to London other than Virgin's West Coast service.
RMT is demanding an inquiry into how German rail giant Deutcshe Bahn and their partners have been allowed to get away with pulling the plug on the Wrexham and Shopshire service leaving £1 million of public investment on infrastructure at the Wrexham end of the route to potentially rot into the ground. RMT this morning repeated the demand that the service be taken into public ownership.
The union is in discussions aimed at protecting the futures of the 55 staff employed by the company.
RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:
"The closure of the Wrexham and Shropshire service is an act of corporate vandalism and is a bitter blow to the UK rail industry. It is a scandal that a giant company like Deutsche Bahn can play fast and loose with our rail services in this way and then and cut run when they decide the profit margins aren't fat enough for their liking.
"The UK Government should now step in and nationalise the route to protect both the jobs and the popular Wrexham & Shropshire services and there should be a full inquiry into how this operation, set up with Welsh government and taxpayer support, has been ground into the dust by Deutsche Bahn. Public ownership would protect that public investment rather than allowing the private rail asset strippers to walk away from the wreckage.”