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Walton MP Dan Carden has slammed Merseyrail over plans to run driver-only trains without guards – saying the company should “put passengers ahead of profit”.

Members of the RMT union are on strike today and will walk out again on Thursday as the long-running dispute continues.

Merseyrail is introducing a new £460m fleet of trains that it says do not need guards. But the RMT says guards are critical for customer safety.

Mr Carden , who has become one of Liverpool’s best-known MPs since he was elected this year after beating Liverpool mayor to become Labour’s candidate for Walton.

He has now thrown his backing behind the RMT. But his comments could put him on a collision course with other local Labour leaders who voted for the trains to be introduced.

The plan for the new trains was approved by Liverpool City Region Combined Authority – made up of the region’s council leaders and their representatives – last December. The city region’s councils are all controlled by Labour.

Mr Carden said: “A guard on every train is vital for the safety and security of every passenger. It’s time Merseyrail’s owners put their passengers and workforce ahead of profit.

“Better trains aren’t an excuse to impose a skeleton service and only the guarantee of a guard on every train will give passengers the reassurances they need.

“The refusal by Merseyrail’s owners to guarantee a guard on every train is driven solely by the financial greed of a company already making huge profits from the travelling public.

“I want to see our railways back in public ownership, but until then Merseyrail’s owners must prove they’re up to the job of delivering this key public service. They should do the right thing and pay up for the staff who run their services and put the safety of their passengers ahead of their profits.

“The Welsh government is leading the way by guaranteeing a guard on every train for all future rail franchises.

“British Transport Police figures released earlier this year showed that sexual offences on trains have doubled in the last five years. No one should have concerns about their safety when travelling on a train.”

The Merseyrail franchise is operated by a joint venture between Serco and Abellio. It runs train services in the region on behalf of Merseytravel.

Wirral West MP Margaret Greenwood retweeted Mr Carden’s comments, saying: “I’m supporting @RMTunion. We need guards on trains.”

The ECHO has approached Merseyrail for comment.