The Anonymous Widower

Have The RMT Seen The Writing On The Wall?

This morning the RMT are on strike on Southern, in the longest strike seen on UK railways for decades.

This report has recently appeared on the Rail Magazine web site, and is entitled Network Rail tests ETCS on Class 700 on ‘Core’ Thameslink route.

The report goes on to say how this successful test will allow Automatic Train Operation (ATO) from 2018.

In other words, the Thameslink trains and eventually, there will only be Class 700 trains operating through the central core, will be driven by computer, with the driver monitoring what is happening.

In a leader, The Times today described the rail unions as Luddites.

Surely, any hint of computers driving trains will invoke the resistance of the unions.

But as with Driver Only Operation DOO), ATO is the way that passengers, train operators and progressive governments will want to go. And if it is unsafe, just look at the Victoria Line which now runs thirty trains per hour using both DOO and ATO. And it has been using this method of operation for fifty years.

So have the unions looked at this and decided that with a big push they can get the whole lot thrown out.

The Times called them Luddites. The Times was right.

As an aside, when did you last see a woman driving a train on the National Rail Network?

August 8, 2016 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Govia Thameslink Railway, Strikes, Trade Unions, Trains