PROTECTING STAFF EMPLOYED ON THE WEST COAST MAINLINE

That this House notes that the Government has barred Stagecoach from bidding on new rail franchises including the West Coast Main Line which it currently operates jointly with Virgin; further notes that this franchise is due to be renewed in March 2020; shares the concerns of the RMT union about the impact of this uncertainty on staff; calls for the jobs, conditions and pensions of Virgin staff and the staff of Virgin subcontractors such as Alstom, Leadec and DHL to be fully protected; further calls for the maintenance and expansion of services including catering, ticket office and station staff and safety critical guards to be retained on all trains; and calls on the Government to reject any bids for the West Coast Partnership which do not provide these protections.