NEWS RELEASE

For immediate release 27 June 2003

SRA must learn from Connex failure - TSSA

Trade union TSSA has reacted to news that Connex is to lose its franchise insix months' time.

Richard Rosser, General Secretary of TSSA, said: "This news is notsurprising - Connex has always been the problem child of the privatisedrailway. Its passengers and employees have certainly felt the brunt of poorperformance in the past. But are we to believe that Connex is the only trainoperator where the SRA has issues of concern over levels of subsidy andperformance?"

Mr Rosser said: "The Strategic Rail Authority should use this opportunity totake the franchise in-house. Network Rail has adopted this approach bytaking direct control of some maintenance contracts.

"It is time the SRA took the same approach and provided competition betweenthe public sector and private sector in the rail industry. This would alsomake them more effective in questioning and challenging the performance ofthe private sector operators in the interests of the travelling public."

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Notes to Editors
1. TSSA represents 32,000 members in administrative, clerical,managerial, professional and technical jobs in the railways, buses, theLondon Underground, the travel trade, canals, ports and ferries, and roadhaulage.