Disgraced Northern Rail pays for extra driver to ‘sit idle’ to please unions
DISGRACED train operator Northern Rail is paying an extra driver to “sit idle” on a key service – to please the unions.
MPs yesterday claimed Northern agreed the deal with Aslef earlier this year after it was forced to bring in a locomotive from a different company.
Under the arrangement, a driver from Direct Rail Services runs the Barrow to Carlisle service – with a Northern Rail driver sitting in the back.
A source said: “Northern admitted to this at a local meeting the other day. They said they didn’t want a row with the union.”
Labour MP John Woodcock said the agreement – coming at a time of mass cancellations on the rest of the network – defied belief.
He stormed: “Paying drivers to sit in trains idly admiring the view while hundreds of services are being cancelled for lack of available staff sums up the dire state of our railways.
“These crazy secret deals are straight back to the 1970s – Chris Grayling should be ashamed of himself for presiding over this fiasco.”
Northern last night admitted it was a “short-term arrangement” following calls to “improve the rolling stock”. A spokesman refused to comment on deals with the unions.
The revelation came as Transport Secretary Chris Grayling was forced to endure a “no confidence” vote in the Commons.
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He survived –by 305 votes to 285 – after a Labour-led debate which saw him slammed for his handling of the railways.
Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald called on the Cabinet minister to “step up and shoulder the blame” for his role in disrupting the lives of thousands of passengers, including those on Northern and Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR).
Mr McDonald said he regretted having to table the motion, telling the Commons: “But given the totally unacceptable state of the railways, I felt I had a duty to passengers.