One month of strikes: South Western Railway cuts services across festive period

The South Western Railway (SWR) strike is beginning today (December 2) and will last until New Year’s Day.

The news comes after talks with the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, alongside SWR over a dispute about safety on broken down trains.

The strike has been called “unnecessary” by the operator; supposedly over half of weekday trains will run to the right timetable but the last services will arrive and depart earlier than planned.

The union believes that the strike is necessary for passenger safety.

Mick Cash, general secretary, said that he is “angry and frustrated that a set of proposals that would have guaranteed the safety-critical role of the guard at the point of despatch… have been kicked back in our faces.”

SWR runs between London Waterloo and Portsmouth, Southampton, Bournemouth and Weymouth, plus Exeter, Bristol and Reading.

The strike days:

• Monday December 2, 00:01 - Wednesday December 11 23:59
• Friday December 13, 00:01 - Tuesday December 24, 23:59
• Friday December 27, 00:01 - Wednesday January 1, 23:59

Want your business, product or service to be seen regionally and nationally? Bdaily helps you get your story in front of the right audience, every day. Find out how Bdaily can help →

Join more than 55,000 subscribers by signing up to our daily bulletin each morning here.