TRANSPORT union RMT urged new Tory Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan to take a new approach to the increasingly bitter national rail dispute today.

The former international trade secretary replaced Grant Shapps at the Department for Transport on Tuesday evening, hours after new Prime Minister Liz Truss was sworn in. 

Ms Trevelyan is on record as opposing ticket office closures in her constituency of Berwick-upon-Tweed.

Last month, RMT launched a campaign to resist a joint proposal from the government and industry bosses to cull nearly all of Britain’s ticket kiosks, despite passengers wanting them to remain, according to unions. 

The initiative is running parallel to RMT’s national dispute over job cuts and below-inflation pay deals on the railways, which will see further strike action at the end of next week.

In a letter to the MP, general secretary Mick Lynch said: “We are encouraged that you are on the record as wanting to save rail ticket offices.

“There is clearly now the opportunity for a new approach from the government to facilitate discussions between the RMT and employers, where train companies and Network Rail are given more flexibility to secure a deal.”