JOB cuts planned by Network Rail threaten railway safety and are likely to spark an industrial dispute, transport union TSSA warned today.

In a letter to the publicly owned company’s boss, Andrew Haines, TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes outlined “grave concerns” over reports that a compulsory redundancy programme is imminent.

The railway infrastructure firm, which the union said was seeking savings of nearly £4 billion by 2024, wants to axe more than 900 management-grade jobs, on top of a voluntary severance scheme that has already seen more than 1,000 workers leave.