Tube UNION RMT today demanded an immediate halt to TFL’s cash-led plans to close the Holborn sidings on the Central Line – a move that the union says would pose an immediate danger to staff and passengers alike. The plan is thought to have been cooked up to save somewhere in the region of £30 million.

RMT only discovered the plans by chance and since the 9th of May the union been trying to engage with central line management on the issue with a wholly inadequate response from them.

Disgracefully, the union found out about the proposals by means of a traffic circular notice that the Holborn sidings on the Central Line will close from next weekend. There has been absolutely zero consultation on this matter with the union and its health and safety reps .

If there had been consultation RMT has made it clear that the union would have raised immediate concerns that the removal of the sidings would seriously reduce the options of service control to reform train services, shorten trips and remove trains from danger . The consequential ability to manage passenger crowd control is seriously reduced if the closure is allowed to go ahead.

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said:

“RMT has written to London Underground today demanding an immediate halt to the cash-led, Holborn sidings closure plans. It is outrageous that these dangerous proposals are being bulldozed through without consultation and outside of agreed safety procedures.

“At a time when the Underground is under unprecedented pressure removing the scope to manage services and to remove trains from danger, which is what the Holborn sidings were designed for, is downright irresponsible.

“The union wants these plans pulled and we will take whatever action is required to protect the safety of our members and the services that they operate.”