Southern Rail strike: Delays and cancellations as conductors strike over plan for driver-only trains

Hatty Collier27 April 2016

Thousands of commuters are braced for two days of travel chaos from this morning as strike action cripples major rail routes into London.

Southern trains will be cancelled and delayed across the south-east, including busy commuter routes into London Victoria.

The strike will be held from 11am and ends at 10.59am tomorrow, but services were expected to be disrupted from 7.30am today.

Southern’s website lists numerous routes with no service at all or drastically reduced during the strike.

The RMT, largest of the rail unions, has ordered a 24-hour walkout by 400 onboard conductors – without whom trains cannot run – in a long running dispute over changes to working conditions and safety claims.

Queuing systems will be in place at many stations that are open, while picket lines will be mounted by strikers.

Southern users face even worse disruption next month with back-to-back 24-hour strikes spread over four days in the same week from Tuesday 10 May.

Fed-up rail passengers hit out at the disruption online.

Henry Fowler tweeted: “Hours of disruption. Sounds like usual @SouthernRailUK service to me #southernstrike. #solidarity to all @RMTunion.”

Another commuter wrote: “Early start to avoid strike. Three degrees outside and no heating on the train. Thanks @SouthernRailUK.”

Charlotte Morris said: “Thanks @SouthernRailUK for making me have to go to work an hour early for a lift suppose it's better than making me late most days.”

Southern, owned by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), plans changes to the role of conductors which will see responsibility for operating the doors switched to the driver.

Mick Cash, RMT general secretary, said: "This dispute is about safety and the safety-critical role of the guards on Southern trains.

"The company, with an eye on ever-fatter profits, is prepared to axe the guards on some of the most overcrowded and potentially-dangerous services in Britain so that they can squeeze every last penny out of their passengers regardless of the consequences.

"That is a lethal gamble with safety in the name of profit and that is why we have been forced to take strike action.

"Southern see their passengers as nothing more than self-loading freight, there to be fleeced at every turn and every opportunity.

"The consequences of removing guards, the human eyes and ears on that dangerous interface between crowded platforms and crowded trains, is blindingly obvious to anyone but the rip-off merchants running this deeply unpopular rail franchise.

"The company have now resorted to trying to bully and intimidate staff taking a stand to defend the safety-critical role of the guard. That is disgusting, but nothing surprises us with this mob."

Southern accused the RMT of "scaremongering" and that driver-only operation was a safe, proven way of working that has been used on 40 per cent of trains across its network for 25 years

A Southern spokesperson said: "This strike by the RMT is completely unnecessary and just causes misery for our passengers. No staff would lose their jobs under our proposals or see a reduction in their salary, whilst passengers would benefit by having more visible staff on trains. We urge the RMT to come back to the negotiating table.

“The main focus of the new role is to be more visible and available to passengers - and as many trains will be staffed as today. In addition, services won't be cancelled if an on-board supervisor is not available. That in itself - particularly in times of disruption - is a massive bonus for our passengers.

“While we are working to run as many trains as possible, on some routes there will be no train service at all and on others it will be significantly reduced and start late and finish early."

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: "I condemn any industrial action that will disrupt the travelling public. I expect to see operators and the unions working together to resolve these issues.

"Rail passengers will not thank the unions for inflicting this unnecessary disruption. It is clear that the changes GTR are proposing will modernise services and provide better journeys for passengers."

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