Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with representatives from Network Rail on resolving industrial action on the railways.
The Secretary of State holds regular meetings with stakeholders, including the CEO and Chair of Network Rail, on a range of matters which may include industrial action. However, there is no current industrial dispute at Network Rail after RMT members voted to accept the revised offer from Network Rail on 20th March with a 76% approval rate. This is a step towards the modern, reliable, and resilient railway we want to deliver. To achieve the necessary savings and improve efficiency, Network Rail will introduce multiple workforce reforms, including new individual rostering to suit the 24/7 railway, introducing joint and cooperative working and agreeing a set of mandatory overlapping skills for maintenance staff.