Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what training has been provided to Network Rail safety representatives on the changes brought in by the Network Rail’s modernising maintenance programme.

Network Rail safety representatives have been fully briefed throughout the consultation process at both a national and local level and are trained to carry out their roles in this process. As local consultation continues, they remain engaged with the specific local changes being implemented in Network Rail’s routes.

Whilst the Office of Road and Rail (ORR) did not request that Network Rail consult in line with the Safety Representative and Safety Committee Regulations 1977, all organisational changes in Network Rail are subject to a formal safety change, and trade unions are consulted in line with the regulations. The ORR did attend one of the consultation meetings as observers and were satisfied with the consultation process being followed. Network Rail’s maintenance modernisation programme is fully transparent to the ORR and senior leaders across the organisation regularly engage with the regulator to keep them fully sighted.