VIRGIN Trains has admitted it has contingency plans in place in case of a strike on the East Coast Mainline, but has been accused of “deliberate and outrageous” provocation.

The RMT rail union said empty trains were being operated on the route in order to train up management volunteers and other grades of staff in preparation for a possible strike.

It said the firm had moved to a “union-busting war footing” and was training up a “scab army” before proper consultation had even begun over what it claimed were massive cuts being proposed to jobs and services.

Virgin played down the RMT’s comments saying contingency planning was a key part of providing the best customer experience.

A spokesman said: “We proactively plan for a range of scenarios where we may need to keep our services running under extraordinary circumstances so that we can provide as full a service as possible.

“None of this has been done in secret – it is something we have been doing since the start of our franchise and under previous franchise agreements."

The RMT has warned that bosses are planning to close ticket offices and make cuts to on-board train staff and management and supervisory roles.

It said these were linked to an attempt to maintain profits.

Virgin and its partner Stagecoach took over the running of the route from Directly Operated Railways – a holding company set up by the Department for Transport – when the Government decided to return the franchise back to the private sector.

When The Northern Echo pressed the firm for detail on its plans, the spokesman said: “We are talking to them [the RMT] about a range of things.

“Until any plans have been finalised we are not going to discuss them with the media.”

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said the union was demanding assurances that any proposals involving cuts are withdrawn.

He said: “If those assurances are not forthcoming the union will take these matters into dispute and will kick off a major political, public and industrial campaign to prevent these attacks on staff and passengers alike on a franchise that has already failed twice in private hands.”