Passenger safety, security and accessibility on East West Rail

That this House notes that Chiltern Trains was appointed the operator of the first phase of East West Rail; understands that despite concerns being raised by the RMT union about the impact on passenger safety, security and accessibility, Chiltern intends to operate these services via Driver Only Operation (DOO); is aware that on services operated via DOO, there is no guarantee of a second safety-critical person on board to undertake vital functions including passenger assistance and responding to incidents and emergencies; believes that recent incidents such as the multiple stabbing in Huntingdon and the Bedford train crash have bought to the fore the importance of all services having a safety-critical guard; further notes that in passenger watchdog Transport Focus’ recent rail customer survey, passengers’ safety and security on trains had risen to the second highest priority and that six in 10 passengers strongly agreed that the visible presence of uniformed staff on trains is very important; also notes that the RMT union is holding an industrial action ballot of its Chiltern Train Manager members as a result of the company's refusal to operate the East West Rail services with a safety-critical guard; recognises that Chiltern is coming into public ownership on 20 September 2026; and therefore calls on the Government to withdraw the proposals to run these services via DOO and instead provide a commitment that all East West Rail services will be operated with a second safety-critical guard.