Network Rail has launched legal consultations with unions on maintenance reforms it says are needed to modernize the rail industry, one of the issues at the heart of the current strikes.
The proposed reforms would require around 1,900 fewer jobs.
The company said the plans would also save money “necessary for the future of our railroad”.
But the RMT union, which has been on strike over wage and reform proposals, has criticized the move.
The reforms have been a key part of the ongoing dispute with the RMT, and this move represents an attempt to push through the changes, whether the union agrees or not.
But negotiations can continue through the consultation process.
Changes to the way Network Rail’s maintenance teams work would result in multifunctional teams being dispatched to troubleshoot tracks instead of multiple specialist teams.
A “raft of labor and life-saving technology” would also be introduced.
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Network Rail Chief Executive Andrew Haines said he has not given up on finding a negotiated way forward, but added: “We cannot be circling the same ground day after day, week after week and not moving forward”.
“It is vital that we move forward with our modernization plans to help put our railway on a sustainable financial footing for the future,” he said.
“The way people live and work has changed since the pandemic. On the rails, this means significantly fewer commuters and significantly less income.”
Network Rail said about 1,900 fewer jobs would be needed as part of the reforms – reducing maintenance staff from about 10,000 to about 8,000.
However, it insists that most jobs could be eliminated through voluntary redundancies, retraining and transfers rather than forced redundancies.
“These reforms are too important, especially given that we started these talks 18 months ago,” Mr Haines said.
Thousands of Network Rail and rail company rail workers have left in recent weeks over rows over reform and wages.
On Wednesday, a strike resulted in about 20% of train journeys going ahead.
RMT members will strike again, with the same impact on services on August 18th and 20th.
Around 5,500 train drivers at seven railway companies affiliated with the Aslef union went on strike on Saturday, coinciding with the Commonwealth Games and the first day of the English Football League season.
Network Rail said its recent offer of an 8% pay rise over two years, with “large discounts on travel expenses, a cash bonus and a guarantee of no layoffs for operational reasons” met many of RMT’s demands.
“The alternative is asking either taxpayers or passengers to fund a pay raise, and that’s not fair or realistic,” the company said.
Network Rail is understood to have come close to reaching an agreement on two occasions, but union bosses then had a “change of tone”.
Mick Lynch, general secretary of RMT, hit back at Network Rail’s latest move, saying an offer was “entirely dependent on mass redundancies and changes in conditions and working practices”.
“Rather than misleading the workforce about what they are actually proposing, the company must now get back to the table with RMT and work to resolve the issues, including their proposed changes and the union’s demands for job security and decent pay to stand up,” he said.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “While we still encourage RMT to join the talks and find a solution to this dispute that is fair for all, it is now clear that no deal would ever be good enough for RMT and they have the network leaving rail has no choice but to carry out these necessary modernizations with or without their support.”
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