ASLEF, the train drivers' union, has claimed the Department for Transport (DfT) is behind a developing High Court battle between itself and a leading train company.
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) said it had issued proceedings at the High Court to seek an injunction 'to enable the operation of new 12-car train services on Gatwick Express'.
It said this follows the recent refusal of drivers, ‘at the instruction of the ASLEF Union’, to drive the first two services that had been due to operate in 12-car formation.
ASLEF claims GTR’s attempts to run the new trains without guards, in driver only operation (DOO), breached existing aggreements with the company to only run services of up to 10 cars without a guard to supervise them.
The new trains on Gatwick Express
Mick Whelan, ASLEF general secretary, linked the company’s behaviour to reported controversial comments from Peter Wilkinson, the DfT’s managing director of passenger services, suggesting that he would seek confrontation with the union.
In February, Mr Wilkinson was reported as saying: ’They [train drivers] can't afford to spend too long on strike and I will push them into that place. They will have to decide if they want to give a good service or get the hell out of my industry.’ He subsequently apologised.
Mr Whelan told Transport Network: ‘The fingerprints of Peter Wilkinson and Patrick McLoughlin are all over this.’
He also critcised GTR, commenting: ‘We deplore the company trying to jeopardize passenger safety simply for profit.’
A spokesperson for GTR said: 'We launch legal action very reluctantly, but we have been left with no choice because of the position adopted by the ASLEF Union. Drivers have safely operated the doors on Gatwick Express services for many years so passengers will find their refusal to drive the new trains baffling.
‘We will take any reasonable steps we can to defend the interests of our customers and maintain the Gatwick Express service with the new 12 car trains, which will increase capacity and reliability and give a more comfortable travelling environment for passengers.’
Asked by Transport Network why it would not put guards on the new trains to secure their implementation, the spokesperson said: ‘12-car Class 387/2 trains do not need conductors. The same 12-car trains already run DOO on Thameslink routes on the very same infrastructure down to Gatwick from London Bridge.’
The spokesperson did not cite explicit any reason why it was unable to put guards on the new trains.
Gatwick Express has previously announced that it is introducing '27 brand new' trains, totalling 108 carriages. This implies that it can configure its new rolling stock as four, eight or 12 car trains, but not as a 10 car train, which, according to ASLEF, is the longest train that can be run by agreement without a guard.
GTR’s application for an injunction is expected to be heard on Friday.
Transport Network approached the DfT for comment.
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