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: