Rail workers threaten to strike after legionella found on trains

Traces of legionella, a bacteria that can cause severe lung infection, were found on four Thameslink trains weeks ago, union says

Actionable traces of legionella were found in seven toilets on four Thameslink trains (PA)

A rail union is threatening strike action amid a dispute with a train operating company after a “potentially lethal” Legionella outbreak was discovered on a number of trains.

The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) said it is “prepared to ballot for strike action” if urgent action isn’t taken to resolve the issue.

It said that actionable traces of legionella – a bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease, a severe lung infection – were found in seven toilets on four Thameslink trains, with the fourth unit discovered two weeks ago on 9 August.

Thameslink, which is part of Govia Thameslink Railway, said it would remove the trains affected from service where “reasonably practical,” and that if the trains remain in service, the toilets would be isolated from use.

RMT called the rail company’s short term solutions “inadequate” and “an outright gamble with passenger and staff health”.

RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch said: ”RMT has been raising concerns over Legionella on the Siemens Thameslink fleet for weeks now and the latest cavalier approach from the company is pitifully inadequate and is an outright gamble with passenger and staff health.

“We have now declared a dispute and be in no doubt if we don’t get serious action we will ballot our members and do whatever is required to end this reckless approach to a potentially lethal situation on these increasingly busy trains.”‎

Thameslink have now taken all four trains out of service and have completely drained, bleached and re-filled the toilets, Rob Mullen, the company’s Train Services Director said.

Mr Mullen said: “We take this extremely seriously and the safety of our passengers is our number one priority. A very low level of Legionella was found to be present during testing in a small number of our Thameslink Class 700 train toilets. While it is extremely unlikely this would cause any harm to passengers or colleagues, the toilets affected were immediately locked out of use.

“The trains were taken out of service and these toilets have now been completely drained, bleached and had their tanks re-filled. There is no recorded case of anyone, ever, having contracted legionella from a train.”

In response to the latest comment from Thameslink, RMT’s Mr Lynch told The Independent: “The complacency of this company is simply breathtaking. They are trying to gloss over a potentially lethal situation as if it’s little more than a leaky tap. No one will be reassured by this cavalier approach to safety.

“They are also ignoring the fact that this has been going on for weeks and it has taken pressure from RMT today to force even this limited action. Until they satisfy our members that this situation is being treated seriously we will remain in dispute.”