That this House notes that rail operator Chiltern, which was appointed as the operator of the initial phase of East West Rail by the Department for Transport, has informed the rail unions of its intention to operate the route via Driver Only Operation (DOO); further notes that, under DOO, there is no guarantee of a second safety-critical person on all services to undertake vital functions, including deterring anti-social behaviour, assisting accessibility for disabled and older passengers, responding to incidents, emergency evacuations, safe dispatch and dealing with fires; believes the recent attacks on an LNER service at Huntingdon station reinforce the vital role played by on-train staff, including during emergencies; understands that, in 2026, Chiltern will be renationalised and come into public ownership; believes that passengers feel more safe and secure if there is a guarantee of a second safety-critical person on the train; and calls on the Government to instruct Chiltern to withdraw its plans for DOO.
