Northern Line commuters feel impact of cuts as train breakdown causes massive disruption

A broken down train on London's Northern Line this morning, leading to massive disruption the length of the line, has capped off a week of chaos for London commuters as the reality of trying to cram surging numbers of passengers into chronically overcrowded rail and tube services comes home to ‎roost. 

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said;

"The impact of cuts to maintenance and staffing on rail and tube is the root cause of the chaos for passengers that has been reported every ‎single day this week. Services are constantly running on a knife edge due to years of penny pinching and profiteering  and that situation is set to get even worse against a background of surging passenger numbers. The consequences are only too obvious. 

"This dire situation cannot be allowed to drag on. The cash sucked out by the rip-off private train companies is urgently needed for investment in capacity, maintenance and staffing. That can only happen through public ownership of the whole transport operation across the board. "

> RMT National News

Monday, 22nd December
Rail union RMT celebrated a major victory for rail workers after it was confirmed that the outsourced TransPennine Express dispatch contract will be brought back in-house and transferred to Northern Trains.
Monday, 22nd December
Rail union RMT has called for FirstGroup-owned Avanti West Coast to be stripped of its remaining rail contracts and its operations returned to public ownership.
Friday, 19th December
RMT has condemned proposals by Amey Rail to cut 59 jobs on the Core Valley Lines (CVL) transformation project, warning that the plans could lead to industrial action.
Wednesday, 17th December
Cleaning staff on the Docklands Light Railway will take strike action on New Year's Eve after the employer made no contact with the union following the previous strike.
Wednesday, 17th December
RMT has called on the government to immediately intervene to protect the lives of remand prisoners currently on hunger strike.