RAIL UNION RMT today demanded an end to the “chaos, instability and waste” of rail privatisation following the government’s announcement this morning that National Express will have their East Anglia franchise terminated in 2011.

RMT are calling on the government to strip National Express of their remaining C2C contract and to make it clear that the company are being kicked off the UK rail tracks for good following the shambolic collapse of their East Coast Main Line operation.

Bob Crow, RMT General Secretary, said:

“The rail franchise system has degenerated into the worst soap opera you can imagine, lurching from one chaotic episode to another and with the government staggering around like crack addicts desperate to hand over another fat wodge of taxpayers cash for their next privatisation fix.

“The time has come to call a halt to the rail privatisation disaster. The long slow death of National Express as a UK rail operator should trigger a policy shift back to public ownership which would bring the politicians into line with the wishes of over 70% of the British people in a recent poll.

“Passengers and staff alike are sick and tired of the waste, inefficiency and crisis management of rail privatisation that is at the heart of the National Express fiasco. This is taxpayer-sponsored rail chaos and RMT will be stepping up the campaign to bring it to an end and return to the principles of a publicly owned railway run as a public service.”