Rail guards plan four strike days

The strike days are planned for late May and early June

Guards on Midland Mainline are to stage four 24-hour strikes in a dispute with the rail firm over safety.

Members of the RMT will walk out on 27 May and 3, 10 and 17 June as part of campaign for a guard to work in each section of multiple unit trains.

The guards voted by 70 to 13 in favour of industrial action.

Guards have been working to rule and have banned rest day and Sunday working, but have now decided to step up their action.

Safety dispute

Midland Mainline runs services from Sheffield through Derby, Nottingham and Leicester to London.

The union accused the train operator of "ignoring" attempts to negotiate a deal.

Union spokesman Bob Crow said: "This dispute is about ensuring there is a safety-trained guard in each portion of a multiple unit train.

"It is simply not possible for one guard to cover the whole of the train because there is no access between the units when the train is moving.

"I hope that those who rely on Midland Mainline Services will join with us in urging the company not to subordinate safety standards to cost-cutting."

A Midland Mainline spokesman said: "Our priority is, as always, the safe operation of all its trains.

"We are aware of the RMT union's concerns around the working of multiple unit trains, and we have undertaken several independent risk assessments in conjunction with the RMT - all of which have found this to be a safe method of operation."

The firm said it was "surprised" by the RMT's refusal to acknowledge the findings of these independent risk assessments.