The transport secretary was right to talk to the rail unions – and is right to keep talking

Editorial: Passengers are entitled to be angered by continuing train strikes – the case for them is not strong enough

Mark Harper has dropped the pretence that the government had no role (PA)

When Mark Harper took over as transport secretary in October, he seemed to offer a constructive change from Grant Shapps. Mr Shapps was not his immediate predecessor: Anne-Marie Trevelyan held the office for the 49 days of the Liz Truss premiership. However, Mick Lynch, the general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), spoke truth in jest when he pretended he could not remember her name.

Mr Shapps had found himself snagged by his refusal to talk to the trade unions, insisting that the dispute was between them and the train operating companies. This seemed a surprising siding to have shunted himself into, given his reputation as a good communicator and a pragmatist.

So it was a welcome change when Mr Harper dropped the pretence that the government had no role and engaged in dialogue. It was even more welcome when he seemed to have brokered an agreement in January, giving the train operators a revised mandate.