Grayling accused of ducking blame for rail chaos
TRANSPORT SECRETARY Chris Grayling has been accused of “passing the buck” after blaming a “collective failure” of the rail industry for the botched introduction of new timetables which led to chaos for millions of passengers on Northern and other lines last week.
Mr Grayling said in a letter to the region’s MPs that the level of disruption on Northern rail was “wholly unsatisfactory” and the scale of the chaos “far outstripped any expectation”.
He blamed state-funded Network Rail’s failure to deliver electrification between Bolton and Preston and a “wholly unacceptable” late approach to preparing for the new timetables, as well as strikes, for widespread delays and cancellations on Northern rail and Thameslink lines in recent days.
But Yorkshire MPs yesterday criticised him for not taking personal responsibility in his letter.
The Transport Secretary wrote: “I am frustrated that what should have been good news for passengers, with the introduction of new services, new routes and expanded capacity, has had such a poor start.
“The industry collectively has failed the passengers it serves.
“A combination of delayed Network Rail infrastructure works and reduced planning time meant that the new timetable was finalised much too late to permit adequate logistical planning for the timetable changes.”
Mr Grayling added: “We were aware that there might be some disruption in the early days of any new timetable change of this size, but the scale of the problem has far outstripped any expectation.
“I am determined both that the problems are dealt with as quickly as possible, and that this is not repeated in the future.”
The Transport Secretary last week said it was “not good enough” for people to face the number of delays and cancellations they have, telling the Commons: “I’m sorry this was the case”. In his letter, he offered to hold a meeting for MPs whose constituents have been affected next week, and has asked Network Rail and Northern Rail to organise a briefing.
But Labour MPs criticised him for his “non-apology”. Shadow Rail Minister and York Central MP Rachael Maskell said: “Rail services across the country are in meltdown as a result of Chris Grayling’s complete failure to prepare for the transition to a new national railway timetable. Chris Grayling can’t wash his hands of this chaos by blaming the ‘rail industry’. The buck stops with him. It was him who awarded contracts to incompetent train companies and it was him who propped up a failed and unpopular system of rail privatisation.”
Keighley MP John Grogan welcomed the offer of a briefing from transport chiefs.
But he told The Yorkshire Post: “It is a little surprising, however, that Mr Grayling does not offer a personal apology for all the chaos.
“He rather gives the impression in the House of Commons that he is very much involved in all the detail of rail policy.
“In this instance his message seems rather to be essentially ‘Nothing to do with me guv’.”
And Bradford South MP Judith Cummins said: “This non-apology is a textbook example of passing the buck from the Secretary of State.
“It’s always somebody else’s fault when anything goes wrong. “There may indeed have been contributory factors but it is the man in charge who should be shouldering responsibility – not pointing the finger.”