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What can our members do?

The union has asked its members to do two things:

  • contact their Member of Parliament to urge them to sign the Early Day Motion entitled ‘Signals Passed at Danger’; and
  • to write to MPs on the subject of train cab conditions using the points in a draft letter we have provided as a model (letter below)

 

EARLY DAY MOTION

NUMBER: 247

TITLE: Increase in Signals Passed At Danger (SPADs) on the railways

That this House is concerned by the report from the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) which found a dramatic increase in the number of Signals Passed At Danger (SPADs) in July 2006 to 42 incidents, an increase of 62% compared with the same period in 2005, and twenty percent higher than the previous three-year average, when weather temperatures were much lower; concerned that the extremely high temperatures in July 2006 affected the performance of train drivers, thereby increasing the number of SPADs and compromising the safety of drivers and the general public; calls upon Train Operating Companies to ensure that all train cabs are fitted with sustainable air temperature control devices.

As at the beginning of December, the following MPs had signed the EDM

Simpson, Alan

George, Andrew

Spink, Bob

Taylor, David

Llwyd, Elfyn

Jenkins, Brian

Illsley, Eric

Jones, Lynne

Breed, Colin

Caton, Martin

Conway, Derek

Dismore, Andrew

Flynn, Paul

Galloway, George

Hemming, John

McDonnell, John

Cryer, Ann

Dobbin, Jim

Drew, David

Bottomley, Peter

Williams, Betty

Leech, John

Prentice, Gordon

Robinson, Iris

Hopkins, Kelvin

Meale, Alan

Corbyn, Jeremy

Stringer, Graham

Williams, Roger

Riordan, Linda

Hermon, Sylvia

Owen, Albert

Campbell, Gregory

Vis, Rudi

Pugh, John

Olner, Bill

Clapham, Michael

Crausby, David

Dodds, Nigel

Dunwoody, Gwyneth

Devine, Jim

Gibson, Ian

 

MODEL LETTER/ MAIN POINTS FOR MP LETTER

‘Dear MP,

I am a train driver with (insert company name) and a member of the train drivers’ union ASLEF.

I am writing to ask you to support a new ASLEF campaign to protect the health and safety of train drivers and the general public. In particular I am asking you to sign Parliamentary Early Day Motion 247 which calls on train companies to install sustainable air temperature control devices in all train cabs as a matter of urgency.

I believe that safety on the railways is being compromised by a failure to provide modern air temperature controlled cabs. I know from personal experience the affect on concentration and performance that a very hot cab can have when driving a train. My union is concerned that there is a direct link between the increase in Signals Passed At Danger (SPADs) and the extremely hot weather experienced during the month of July 2006.

We are therefore calling on all train operating companies to ensure that all driving cabs are fitted with sustainable air temperature control devices.

I hope that as my Member of Parliament I can count on your support and I urge you to sign the EDM. I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely ‘