Southern rail strike: Hundreds of thousands of commuters told not to travel ahead of fresh walkout

Rail commuters stage a protest at King's Cross over fare rises
EPA
Dick Murray3 January 2017

Hundreds of thousands of commuters returning to work today were advised not to travel at all next week because of a strike by train drivers.

All of Southern Railway’s 2,284 daily services will be halted because of the six-day strike from next Monday until Saturday by drivers protesting against the introduction of the driver-only operation of trains.

Southern today issued the warning to passengers: “We advise you not to travel during the drivers’ strike.”

Businesses are set to lose tens of millions of pounds, thanks to staff failing to turn up for work and lost orders.

January strikes - what's in store

8 January (8pm) –9 January (8pm): RMT and TSSA set to stage 24-hour strike by 4,000 Tube station and ticket staff in dispute over job losses. 

9 January –14 January: Six day strike affecting all 2,284 of Southern Rail’s daily services over driver-only-operated trains. The Gatwick Express will only operate between Victoria and Gatwick and with trains every 30 minutes instead of every 15.

During the strike, there will be no Southern service on any route. The Gatwick Express, owned by Southern’s parent company GTR, will only operate between Victoria and Gatwick and trains will only run every 30 minutes instead of every 15. Thameslink trains will run but there were warnings of severe overcrowding.

The Southern dispute has been described as one of the most disruptive strikes for 60 years.

An on-going overtime ban by train drivers is causing daily disruption with many services cancelled or delayed.

Striking rail staff could also be joined by those on the Tube.

Crisis talks take place tomorrow at Acas, the conciliation service, to try and prevent a 24 hour strike by 4,000 Tube station and ticket staff from 8pm on Sunday and lasting all day Monday in a separate dispute over job losses.

If the strike goes ahead it will have a huge effect on Tube services closing stations and lines.

Union leaders meet this week to decide whether to order more strikes on Southern – despite the company saying from today it is running 70 per cent of its services in DOO mode and won’t be introducing any more.

The company said its goal for increased DOO services had been partly achieved but admitted it had been prevented from running more, as it originally planned, because of combined strike action of the Aslef and RMT unions.

It today called on the unions to halt future strike action and return to the negotiating table. It said future strike action is “pointless.”

Fares yesterday rose by an average 2.3 per cent across the UK. Southern said its increase is 1.8 per cent, adding more than £80 to an annual Brighton to London season ticket now costing £4,536.

Research by the Action for Rail campaign found that UK commuters spend up to six times as much of their salaries on rail fares as other European passengers,

Commuters to London pay on average £387 a month compared with £61 in Paris or Rome.

Anthony Smith, chief executive of Travel Focus, the national watchdog, called for a fares freeze for Southern passengers.

He said it would “help to rebuild trust following the months of misery they have experienced”.

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