Train driver who sparked 56-day strike fell asleep at controls

A train driver whose sacking has prompted a 56-day trade union strike fell asleep at the controls and failed to officially report it, it has emerged.

The Aslef union organised the eight-week walkout at Hull Trains from March 31 after one of its members was dismissed.

Mick Whelan, the general secretary, condemned Hull Trains for its “failure to act responsibly” and suggested the driver had been sacked because he had reported a “safety concern”.

But a letter seen by The Telegraph reveals the unnamed driver had experienced “fatigue matters” while at the controls of Hull Trains’ 125mph services on more than one occasion.

Aslef is demanding that the driver be fully reinstated to his job, but Hull Trains bosses believe he poses an unacceptable safety risk to passengers. Martijn Gilbert, the managing director, said the discovery of the fatigue incidents presented “a safety risk that we could not ignore”.

A source familiar with the case said the driver himself had revealed that he had fallen asleep at the controls – but had only mentioned it in passing some time later.

Nigel Roebuck, an Aslef organiser, previously said the driver had been working “for more than 20 years with a completely clean safety record” prior to being sacked.

However, in a letter sent to Mr Roebuck and Mr Whelan, Mr Gilbert revealed that the man had been supported through a number of “previous similar issues”.

The letter, sent to all Hull Trains staff and seen by The Telegraph, 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.

“Given the previous instances, including one within the 12 months prior to this where similar fatigue matters were also not properly reported, after much support and guidance 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, so that we can support them and manage the risk.”

Automatic safety systems, including the “dead man’s handle”, would have stopped a train if it had passed a red stop signal. The handle is depressed by the driver whenever the train is in motion. If he lets go, the emergency brakes are triggered.

However, if the train had been switched to a different line with a lower speed limit while the driver was asleep, it could have derailed.

Although Aslef announced the 56-day strike after the driver was sacked, its members have not all responded to the call. Only about a fifth of services have been cancelled by the walkout, suggesting not all union members believe that the action is justified.

‘Stringent safety reporting processes’

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.”

Aslef, on behalf of the driver, did not respond to a request for comment.

It comes after Heidi Alexander, the Transport Secretary, said in Parliament that strikes over safety on the railways were necessary.

Gareth Bacon, the shadow transport secretary, quoted Ms Alexander, who had previously said on the BBC’s Politics Live programme that “there will be occasions on which strikes will be necessary” and asked: “Could the Secretary of State please provide the House with an example of a necessary strike?”

Ms Alexander, previously the deputy responsible for transport to Sir Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, replied: “He will know that I have extensive experience from my time in London where we did take strikes when safety was at risk, and so that would be one direct example I would give him.”