THE RMT demanded protection for Eurostar and Thalys jobs yesterday following the announcement of a possible merger between the two train operators.

Franch state-owned railway SNCF and its Belgian counterpart SNCB have announced that they are considering a merger with Eurostar and Franco-Belgian high-speed train company Thalys.

The project, dubbed Green Speed, aims to increase the number of annual passengers on the combined service to 30 million by 2030.

The companies say they hope this will provide stronger competition with cheap European airlines.

SNCF has majority stakes in both Eurostar and Thalys, whose services connect France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “We will be meeting with Eurostar shortly to discuss the initiative.

“At the top of our agenda will be the protection of our members’ jobs, pay and conditions and that this vital service is maintained, no matter what lies ahead.”