TRANSPORT Secretary Chris Grayling is always ready to denounce RMT members for what he calls irresponsible strikes, ignoring the reality that their action is taken to defend passenger and staff safety.

Yet the cat seem to have got his tongue in response to evidence submitted by the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee to Department for Transport managing director of passenger services Peter Wilkinson.

Wilkinson was warned directly two years ago that dispensing with a second safety-critical member of onboard staff would be dire for disabled and older people.