THE devastating human and operational cost of Network Rail’s “catastrophic” maintenance reforms were laid bare in report by RMT union today.

The Post-Implementation Review drew from more than 6,000 members’ experiences of the Modernising Maintenance programme, which halved the number of maintenance staff to save £100 million, part of the previous Tory government’s £2 billion funding cuts to the railways.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said the programme was “an act of vandalism on Britain’s railway infrastructure and workforce.”

“What we are witnessing is the result of a reckless obsession with cuts that puts costs ahead of safety and efficiency,” he said.

Senior assistant general secretary Eddie Dempsey added: “Network Rail and previous Tory ministers pushed through a programme that has decimated the workforce, left vital maintenance undone, and driven morale through the floor.

“Our members are exhausted, their families are under strain, and their voices have been ignored.”

He said the report should be a “wake-up call” for the Labour government and Network Rail to reverse these cuts, address the staffing and skills crisis, and rebuild trust with the workforce.

The report found that 96 per cent of operational staff said the programme has not improved railway safety, 85 per cent reported an increase in infrastructure faults, and 83 per cent highlighted delays in fault rectifications.

More than half also cited fabricated fault numbers being created to gain track access, bypassing proper safety protocols.

Four in five identified staffing levels as a critical issue and more than two in three flagged insufficient training as a significant problem, with mentoring for new recruits virtually non-existent.

Inequitable scheduling and a rise in night shifts have worsened fatigue, stress and mental health issues.

Network Rail and the Department for Transport were contacted for comment.