These costly strikes hurt individuals and the economy. They make it more difficult for people to get to work, NHS appointments and students to sit exams.
- Throughout the pandemic the rail industry was provided with £16 billion of support to keep them running – equivalent to £600 for every UK family
- £96 billion is being invested into the railways through the Integrated Rail Plan – however there needs to be reform in order to deliver these investments
- These reforms are in the interests of passengers and rail workers – helping cut costs for farepayers and ensuring sustainability of the railways
The rail unions should get back to the negotiation table and sit down with industry leaders.
The last thing we want to see is people driven away from using the railways, given the important role they will play in us reaching net-zero.