Train operator Northern set to unveil new fleet of trains

Four new Class 195 and four 331 units will be run out for the first time at Edge Hill this morning.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “The North is desperate for these new trains, but rail passengers across Britain are also clear that they need guards aboard to keep them safe and accessible. These new trains are configured to operate with a guard, but the company would rather run them without – and no wonder, because fewer staff means less cost and more profit.

“RMT has campaigned for years for investment in new trains, but it is just as important to invest in the safety-trained staff to operate them properly, and poll after poll has shown that rail passengers agree with us.”