General Secretary Mick Cash said:

“RMT has always supported action that puts the safety of both the travelling public and the transport workforce first. The union pays tribute to the rail staff out there at the sharp end working round the clock to keep passengers safe in difficult conditions.”

“However, the current situation once again places centre stage the austerity cuts environment that confronts Network Rail and the penny-pinching and failure to plan for additional pressures which is a hallmark of the privatised train companies.

“The reality is that Britain’s railways operate at full tilt at the best of times and any additional pressures, from adverse weather or the kind of planning failures that led to the chaos at Redhill this weekend, tip the system over the edge.

“There will always be exceptional circumstances but hammering down budgets and cutting staffing numbers leaves our railways on a constant knife-edge and those fundamentals need to be addressed if we are to have a modern railway in this country that is fit for purpose.”