SUNDAY TRAIN GO SLOW

22-08-2007

Our long-running campaign to ensure the West Midlands has a proper Sunday rail service looks no nearer a successful conclusion, after it emerged that any deal will have to wait until the new franchise operator is in position.

The Stirrer revealed in last week's Birmingham Mail column that management of the current franchise holder Central Trains had launched an unsuccessful High Court bid to force staff to work on the Sabbath (read it here)

At the moment, workers have a Sunday opt-out dating back to British Rail days.

What's baffling is that formal negotiations about changing the rotas will now have to wait until Go Via replace Central in November.

One rail source said: "The Department of Transport don't want to sort it themselves, because they know it would mean buying out the drivers' contracts.

"So they're leaving it to the new franchise owner, who will be penalised if they don't improve weekend services.

"That means Go Via will be under pressure to come to an agreement, but because they're the ones who've been left to sort it out, they'll have to pass the cost of any buyout onto passengers.

"That's got to mean higher fares."

Rail contacts suggest that Sunday working may become even more sporadic in the coming months, as drivers flex their muscles in advance of any negotiations about Sunday working.

Their union ASLEF say they are willing to compromise, but only if a 35-hour working week becomes the norm.