letter - rail maintenance
WORKERS, NOVEMBER 2003 ISSUE
Dear Editor
Your article entitled "Rail: Where's the maintenance?" in the June issue seemed to portray a bleak picture.Well, it is true that those of us using the railways since the creation of Network Rail have seen more delays and cancellations due to the strict adherence to safety procedures with no compromises given to the train operators. Of course the jokes about the wrong sunshine shone well during August. But there are also management issues within the train operating companies as well.
There is a strategy to tighten the level of control of track maintenance and a recruitment drive to draw in to the rail industry engineers from other sectors of industry. This programme is entitled the "Track Engineering Conversion Programme". This programme is set to last for many years. It is also planned that the new engineers will help design better equipment.
During the next five years the urgent maintenance required to the track and signalling may increase the disruption. To question whether this is acceptable is tantamount to condoning the lack of investment in the 1980s and 1990s.
There is a will /desire of the workers within the industry to correct the situation.
The reasons for the constantly spirally costs are complex. But at the heart of this problem is a lack of investment to fund the vision to create a railway Britain wants. The Strategic Rail Authority has been criticised and the government has distanced itself.
Some funds have been made available to Network Rail but it is likely that they will need much more. When other rail networks in Europe are compared to ours it seems glaringly obvious that some sections of the infrastructure need replacing.
Sometimes visions and correct solutions need to be bridged to the reality of the time.
Reader