"The start of passenger services on the new East West Rail line will be delayed until at least 2026 with no start date confirmed, the operator has said, partly due to a row over guards on the trains. Passenger trains were supposed to come into service between Oxford and Milton Keynes this autumn, the first stage on the new railway along the Oxford-Cambridge arc where the government hopes for rapid economic growth."
"Both the RMT union, representing guards, and Aslef, representing train drivers, formally oppose any extension to driver-only operated trains on the UK railway a position that is likely to have been reinforced by the recent knife attack on a train in Cambridgeshire. Unions said Chiltern only recently notified them of plans to run the East-West trains without guards. An RMT spokesperson confirmed that Chiltern management had written spelling out the plans and the union was seeking talks."
Passenger services on the new East West Rail line between Oxford and Milton Keynes will not start until at least 2026 because of a dispute over train staffing. Chiltern Railways has not formally notified authorities of the start date, so services will not be timetabled for several months. Track and infrastructure are complete and passenger trains have been leased but remain idle, while freight trains run on the route. The main obstacle is disagreement over driver-only operation versus guards, with unions RMT and Aslef opposing any extension. Unions say they were only recently notified and are seeking talks. Winslow station is also not yet completed. A Chiltern spokesperson said they are working with the Department for Transport, trade unions and industry partners to deliver the first stage.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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