Title: First Great Western MD reveals how he plans to get the beleaguered train operator back on track | The Independent | The Independent
Headings: First Great Western MD reveals how he plans to get the beleaguered train operator back on track
First Great Western MD reveals how he plans to get the beleaguered train operator back on track
Mark Hopwood says his mission is 'to present a different face for the business'
Best and worst of Britain’s railway

Content: Thameslink
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Best and worst of Britain’s railway
Overall best trains: rural Scotland
Creative Commons
Best and worst of Britain’s railway
Overall worst trains: London-Brighton (Thameslink)
Creative Commons
So why did a spokesman for the RMT insist to The Independent: “ The First Great Western plans seriously undermine the current safety-critical role of the guard”? “I’m absolutely clear that what we’re proposing is going to be the safest possible method of dispatching these trains,” says Mr Hopwood. “ The RMT can say what they like, but they’ve never really responded to my challenge to demonstrate why they think their method of preserving the status quo will be safer than using these screens in the driving cab. “I carry the ‘Go to Jail card’ in terms of safety. I’ve worked in this industry all my life and I want to carry on, and I’m not going to allow my business and my staff and my customers to travel on trains that are not being dispatched safely.” Mr Hopwood has had a difficult summer. Besides the strikes, media reports have claimed some ticket-office staff are failing to offer travellers the cheapest fares.