ASLEFJOURNAL AUGUST 2019 The magazine of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers & Firemen The state of play for freight today Inside: Simon Weller and Nigel Gibson introduce a special edition - with reports by Paul Barber , Kevin Bell , Philippa Edmunds , Barry Hare , Peter Mason , and Maggie Simpson - about freight on rail in Britain plus Gregor Gall on Greybull and British Steel; Bill Dale on the RMS forum; and the launch of The train drivers ’ On Track With Diversity 2019 at the Houses of Parliament union since 1880 GS Mick Whelan ASLEFJOURNAL AUGUST 2019 Williams off track The magazine of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers & Firemen EITH Williams K has been drip feeding the contents of his rail review before the report is actually released but there has been less than Mick with Dawn Butler at enthusiastic the launch of our On Track support from With Diversity report stakeholders, the travelling public, and politicians across the divide. 6 9 The first thing he says we must focus on is punctuality. Now I am old enough to remember News when the first priority was safety; does Williams want more penalties that turn trains back from their l Williams review wants go back to the future 4 destinations to protect PPM? Second, he wants a Strategic Rail Authority-type ‘Line is very bendy north of Newcastle’ 5 l body divorced from government. That didn’t work l Launch of our new On Track with Diversity 6-7 in the early days of privatised chaos and it won’t report at the Palace of Westminster work now. Putting the foxes in charge of the hen 11 house through the creation of the Rail Delivery l Ban tax-dodging companies from stations 8 Group – to give two degrees of separation from a Chris Grayling-led DfT – was patently unsuccessful. Features Recreating a useless quango from the past is not the l Gregor Gall on how Britain’s steel industry 9 way forward. But this quango was supported by the suffers from fifty shades of Greybull Capital TOCs, in their submissions, so is it any surprise that the third major recommendation is for longer l Simon Weller reveals the background to the 10 franchises to ‘encourage investment’? That was the problems of the DB Cargo pension fund lie peddled at privatisation; investment hasn’t happened and there is no reason to believe it will. l DO5 Nigel Gibson and Philippa Edmunds 11 And where are the suggestions for dealing with on the state of freight on Britain’s railways freight, future capacity, and Network Rail debt? There’s talk of devolution, which we are not l Maggie Simpson of the Rail Freight Group 12-13 fundamentally against, but devolution without plus company council reports by Paul Barber, 14 funding equals cuts and if there is a further drift Kevin Bell, Barry Hare, and Peter Mason towards concessions then the case for wholesale l Fascism: How Mussolini and Hitler rose out 14 nationalisation is clear. Let’s have one publicly- of the ashes of Europe after the Great War owned, vertically-integrated, safe concession! I am aghast at the government’s decision not to l Bill Dale reports on the RMS spring forum 15 support the steel plant in Scunthorpe. Social impact should be a determining factor, particularly in Regulars government procurement. What happens to supply chains, apprenticeships, local and national l Branch News, and Upcoming Events, and 16-17 economies? Other countries look after key 100 Years of Union industries, so why can’t we? l Obituaries 19 The recent deaths of two track workers near Port Talbot has exercised our minds on rail safety. Our l Letters and Classified Advertisements 20-21 thoughts and condolences are with their friends and families, and extend to all staff involved in this l Last Word: Books to enjoy as you relax in 22 tragic event and its aftermath. As always, we await your hammock in the garden this summer 22 the outcome of the investigation before l On Track: Railway Dream by WH Auden; 23 commenting further. Prize Crossword; Legal Services We remain one of the safest railways in the world, but staff and passengers have a right, each Cover: Winter at Parkend (GWR 0-6-0 Pannier day, to go home safely. This year’s comprehensive 71 tank loco with coal train) by Rob Rowland page ORR report records that incidents at level www.robrowland.co.uk crossings have reduced, but SPADs and near misses have increased, as have fatalities, with platform The ASLEF Journal is published every month by: interface issues and trespass a key cause. The rail ASLEF, 77 St John Street, London, EC1M 4NN industry needs to concentrate on signalling Tel: 020 7324 2400 l email: [email protected] 23 irregularities, objects on the line, and fatigue in the website: www.aslef.org.uk l twitter: @ASLEFUnion freight sector. It is our intention to work closely with the industry on safety, but to be a critical friend when required. Please be safe. EDitoR Mick Whelan l DESiGNER Michael Cronin l PRiNtER College Hill Press, London, SW19 4HE ADvERtiSiNG ASLEF Journal, 77 St John Street, London, EC1M 4NN. Contact Keith Richmond on 020 7324 2407 or [email protected] l ClASSiFiED ADS [email protected] or call 020 7324 2400. The acceptance of a Yours fraternally display or classified advertisement does not necessarily imply endorsement of that product or service by ASLEF Mick Whelan, general secretary ChANGE oF ADDRESS Please post your details to ASLEF, 77 St John Street, Clerkenwell, London, EC1M 4NN August 2019 l The ASLEF Journal 3 News Williams wrong to look Cliff Holloway’s last turn back instead of forward ICK Whelan, general secretary, has condemned Keith Williams, who is M running a review for Chris Grayling into Britain’s railways, for taking a step backwards instead of moving forward. Mr Williams, a former boss of British Airways, suggested, in an interview with Tom Mick: ‘Put wheels and steel back together’ Burridge of the BBC, that a Fat Controller figure running another quango is the best way to with a further two degrees of separation and solve the problems afflicting Britain’s railway it’s just a step back to the early days of network since privatisation. privatisation when the Strategic Rail Authority ‘The problem with Britain’s railways is the did not work. It didn’t work then and it won’t franchising system,’ said Mick, ‘Which hasn’t work now. worked, doesn’t work, and will not work. The ‘We need to put the wheels and the steel model is broken. That is what Mr Williams back together in a proper publicly-owned the GS tweeted after Cliff holloway, Euston, needs to address, not this two-bit half-baked railway which works for everyone – for stepped out of his cab for the last time: ‘My idea to paper over the cracks on the rails. passengers, for businesses, and for those of us mate Cliff on his last day of driving. Great ‘He is trying to package up a broken model who work on the railway.’ comrade, trade unionist, and true friend.’ ‘Train fares dictate uni’ say 6th form students A report by Sean Coughlan, family and education correspondent, on the BBC News website has slammed the privatised TOCs for pricing students out of certain universities. ‘It’s important to talk about the cost of going to open days,’ it quotes Rachel, a 6th former from Plymouth, Devon. ‘Not everyone can afford to go out of their area. Train tickets are expensive and there’s accommodation as well.’ The BBC notes: ‘A return trip by train from north to south can cost £200 or even £300. And, even with railcard discounts, when there might be four or five universities to visit, the open day season can soon become an unaffordable closed door.’ Anne-Marie Canning, director of social mobility at King’s College, London, says the ‘eye-wateringly expensive cost of train travel’ is a much bigger barrier than has been recognised. ‘We invited parents to talk about reasons for people not going to university. Dave Anderson, a miner at Eppleton colliery We expected responses to be about tuition fees and student finance and whether their from 1969 to 1989, and labour MP for children would get the exam grades. But the number one problem was, “I know I can’t Blaydon from 2005 to 2017, with GS Mick take them to an open day. I can’t afford those train tickets”.’ Whelan, Ross Forbes of the Durham Miners’ Association, and EC president Dave Calfe. Safety reps’ training day TWEETS OF THE MONTH at head office I left school with the word buffoon District 8 health & ringing in my ears and no safety reps, with qualifications. My union @ASLEFunion Mick Whelan, after a educated me to serve my members. training day in the Alan Moss @AMOSASLEFREP basement at head office in Smithfield. ‘You’re not a female driver or a male driver – you’re just a driver and you’ve GOING UNDERGROUND got the respect.’ Only 6.5% of train drivers in QUOTE… Jamie Murray, asked by ES magazine during England, Scotland and Wales are women. ‘I say Nigel Farage’s secret funder Wimbledon fortnight, ‘Bus, taxi or Tube?’ had Here’s what life on the tracks is like for one Arron Banks lied about his contact no hesitation. ‘Oh, Tube every time. Do I get of them. @BBCNewsbeat with the Russian government. Because spotted? From time to time, but people are he did.’ – Carole Cadwalladr always really polite.’ Delighted to have co-authored …UNQUOTE #OnTrackwithDiversity with Ijeoma RETIRED MEMBERS’ SECTION AGM Omambala from @OldSqChambers for ASLEF’s Retired Members’ Section annual @ASLEFunion about the low levels of general meeting will be held at 11am on diversity in the train driver profession, our hip, hot and very much Wednesday 9 October at the BR Sports & Social launching at Houses of Parliament today.