Bakerloo and Central line drivers to take action over “detrainment” carriage checking

Following a substantial ballot in favour of taking industrial action over London Underground’s removal of detrainment staff, leaving Bakerloo and Central Line drivers to take trains into depots and sidings without staff on hand physically checking that all passengers are off the train, tube union RMT has agreed to call the following industrial action short of a strike:-

• With effect from 00:01 hours on Thursday 10th January 2013 until further notice, all RMT Train Operators and Instructor Operator members on the Bakerloo and Central Line are instructed to ensure that the carriages on their trains are physically checked and clear of passengers prior to going into sidings or depots. This is to be done either by appropriately-licensed LUL staff or by drivers themselves.

The ballot has come following numerous incidents of passengers being taken on board trains into the secure sidings areas, culminating in the case of a young boy attempting to jump from a train onto an area of live track, and where a potential fatality was only avoided through the swift intervention of a driver. (see below).

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said:

“RMT’s position is very clear; we demand that staff carry out physical checking of trains being taken out of service. Drivers have experienced verbal abuse, and it is only a matter of time before a driver is physically assaulted by an irate passenger.

“We also cannot sit back while passengers, including young children are taken into sidings and then run the risk of jumping out of trains with potentially lethal consequences as a direct result of station staff cuts. We want this issue taken seriously by tube management.