It has been revealed that a train driver, whose dismissal sparked a 56-day trade union strike, fell asleep at the controls and failed to report the incident.
The Aslef union organised the eight-week strike at Hull Trains from March 31 after one of its members was fired.
Mick Whelan, the union's general secretary, criticised Hull Trains for its "failure to act responsibly" and suggested the driver was dismissed for reporting a "safety concern."
However, a letter obtained by The Telegraph showed that the unnamed driver had experienced "fatigue matters" while operating Hull Trains' 125mph services on multiple occasions.
Mick Whelan, the union's general secretary, criticised Hull Trains for its 'failure to act responsibly' and suggested the driver was dismissed for reporting a 'safety concern'
PA
Aslef is calling for the driver's full reinstatement, but Hull Trains management believes he presents an unacceptable safety risk to passengers.
Managing Director Martijn Gilbert stated that the discovery of the fatigue incidents posed “a safety risk that we could not ignore.”
A source close to the case revealed that the driver had admitted to falling asleep at the controls, but only mentioned it in passing some time later.
Aslef organiser Nigel Roebuck previously noted that the driver had worked “for more than 20 years with a completely clean safety record” before being dismissed.
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However, in a letter sent to Roebuck and Whelan, Gilbert said the man had been supported through several “previous similar issues”.
The letter said: “The disclosures made by this driver, especially against a backdrop of previous similar issues where full support and feedback was given, presented us with a safety risk that we could not ignore.”
It added that due to previous incidents, “we have reached a point where we cannot be confident that they can be trusted to properly report safety matters in a safe and appropriate way”.
Automatic safety systems, including the "dead man's handle," would have stopped the train if it had passed a red stop signal.
Hull Trains Managing Director Martijn Gilbert stated that the discovery of the fatigue incidents posed 'a safety risk that we could not ignore'
PAThe handle is engaged by the driver whenever the train is in motion, and if released, the emergency brakes are activated.
However, if the train had been diverted to a different track with a lower speed limit while the driver was asleep, it could have derailed.
While Aslef initiated the 56-day strike after the driver’s dismissal, not all members have participated.
Only about 20 per cent of services have been cancelled due to the strike, indicating that not all union members view the action as warranted.
A spokesman for Hull Trains said: “Hull Trains follows highly regulated industry standard agreements and procedures for safety.
"We have stringent safety reporting processes and provide extensive ongoing training and health and wellbeing support for our colleagues, which has secured industry recognition.”
“The safety concern claimed in the response by Aslef is in direct relation to the individual concerned, but it would be inappropriate to comment further on a specific case.”
