A UNION has named 330 unstaffed stations - including several in the York area - which it claims could become crime hot spots and “no-go areas” for vulnerable and disabled passengers if trains go without guards.
The RMT’s allegations relate to stations run by Northern,including Poppleton, Ulleskelf, Sherburn in Elmet, South Milford, Knaresborough, Hammerton, Cattal and Church Fenton.
They were made as union members staged two more strikes this week over the company’s planned acquisition of trains capable of being operated without guards.
The union claimed that removing guards from trains travelling through unstaffed stations would result in a “cocktail of dangers.”
But deputy managing director Richard Allan said Northern’s plans would see staff more visible and available than ever before on trains and stations.
“We want to keep a second person on many of our services and, at some locations, we may choose to staff the station to give better customer support,” he said, adding that any changes it wanted to make to services or stations were fully risk assessed.
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