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- Move sparks fierce opposition over concerns about jobs
- Postal bosses facing calls to meet with MPs
- Railway workers union says move must be reviewed
Royal Mail is facing a mounting backlash over its plan to stop transporting post by rail.
This newspaper revealed last week the postal service will sell its last freight trains after nearly 200 years of delivering mail on the railways.
The move sparked fierce opposition from unions, politicians and freight industry leaders over concerns about jobs.
Postal bosses were last night facing calls to meet with MPs, as the railway workers union said the move must be reviewed.
It comes as the Government prepares to scrutinise the takeover of the service by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky.
Backlash: Royal Mail will sell its last freight trains after nearly 200 years of delivering mail on the railways
Post was first moved on to the tracks in 1830. Royal Mail is now under pressure to meet with MPs over the plans to axe its trains in October.
Conservative MP for Daventry Stuart Andrew said it was a ‘very worrying development’.
Royal Mail’s Midlands ‘super hub’ at Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal opened in his constituency last year.
‘I will be writing to Royal Mail to seek clarification of the potential impact for those jobs and to request to meet with them to discuss it,’ he told the Mail.
Train drivers union Aslef said the decision ‘must be reviewed’.
A spokesman said: ‘There will also be implications for jobs on the railway.’
Sarah Hall, the Labour MP for Warrington South, said she was ‘concerned’ by the plans. Her constituency houses the depot in Crewe where logistics giant DB Cargo maintains the trains.
Hall said: ‘Royal Mail should be bolstering its network to ensure regular mail deliveries can continue.’
Ministers from the Department for Transport are expected to meet with industry leaders in the coming weeks after settling into their new roles.
Royal Mail said it plans to use commercial rail services to transport some post but has not provided further details.
It added it is difficult and expensive to maintain and run the 30-year-old trains.
There are no postal service job losses expected, and affected staff will be redeployed. The move is also set to create 30 full-time driving jobs.
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