A rail union has issued a safety warning following Network Rail‘s announcement that almost 500 jobs are to be cut.

The Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) is concerned that Network Rail plans to scale back scheduled maintenance, along with some aspects of track renewal.  The warning comes after a series of track defects have occurred recently.

Paul Clifton, transport correspondent at BBC South, posted on X – formerly known as Twitter – that there were three separate broken or cracked rails on the route between London Paddington and Didcot Parkway.  However, Network Rail said that action had quickly been taken, noting that ‘safety is our highest priority’ and that ‘we don’t believe this is a trend problem’.

In mid-October, TSSA warned Network Rail about what it considered to be wholly unnecessary safety risks on the railways. This followed Network Rail’s announcement of the job cuts as part of a cost-cutting drive.  Cuts were made to the High Output Track Renewals Team which replaces old rails and sleepers through the use of highly-specialised on-track machinery.

TSSA General Secretary, Maryam Eslamdoust, said: “We are deeply concerned to see faults of this nature going undetected. Luckily on these occasions no one was hurt, but on any other day this could have led to catastrophe. Unfortunately, with Network Rail’s drive to cut back on scheduled maintenance and some elements of track renewal we fear that, going forward, incidents of this nature will become more prevalent.

“We strongly believe that the changes Network Rail are looking to implement – reduction in staffing numbers, changes to ways people work and the significant reduction in routine inspection and maintenance work – pose a very real threat to the future safe running of the railway.”