Appeal for retired signal workers to keep rail open

Rail chiefs today issued an appeal for retired signal workers to come back to work to help keep the network open.

Channel Tunnel rail freight and the flow of food and medical supplies in the UK are under threat if more signal workers fall ill and cannot be replaced.

John Halsall, Network Rail’s managing director for Southern region, said without sufficient signallers “there will be no way we can keep the whole network open”.

The passenger train operators have drastically reduced services — by 50 per cent in most places — but the trains which are running are used by essential staff.