SWR action “barely noticeable”, while talks start on Merseyrail

Four days of industrial action by the RMT union on South Western Railway was “barely noticed by passengers”, according to the company.

Guards protesting about future changes to their role were told not to work any rest days from Good Friday to Easter Monday.

During previous similar action, South Western Railway was unable to run a full service. This time, it said there were only a handful of cancellations each day, which was “not noticeably different to normal service”.

“It would not be an exaggeration to say the impact on passengers was minimal,” said a spokesman.

“We ran an enhanced Saturday service on Good Friday and Easter Monday, with a normal weekend in between.”

SWR guards had been balloted in March over taking renewed industrial action ( RAIL 849). They voted in favour, but by a smaller margin than last year and with fewer than two in three eligible guards choosing to take part in the ballot.

Passengers on the Reading and Windsor to Waterloo lines were separately affected by Network Rail engineering work, resulting in longer journeys diverted via Kingston.

A 138-year-old bridge at Wandsworth was replaced, signalling was renewed between Vauxhall and Clapham Junction, and strengthening work was carried out on the Rocks Lane overbridge, which spans Barnes station.

Elsewhere, the RMT said members employed by Arriva Rail North “solidly supported” another 24-hour strike on March 29. As on previous strike days, the company again ran reduced services between 0700 and 1900.

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said: “It is a tribute to RMT members that they have remained rock solid for over a year now. German-owned Northern Rail want to run half a million trains a year without a safety-critical guard on board, in a move that would wreck both safety and access to services.”

The union has written to German transport minister Alexander Dobrindt, asking for a meeting to broker a solution to the dispute.

Meanwhile, talks to end the RMT’s dispute with Merseyrail were due to start on April 5 (after this issue of RAIL went to press).

Merseyrail said the independent conciliation talks would discuss staffing on trains and planned driver-controlled operation of new rolling stock.

Human Resources Director Jane English said: “It’s early days yet in the process, but I’m pleased that the RMT has taken this first step in endorsing independent conciliation.

“On behalf of guards and the public, and after several months since the original recommendation of independent conciliation, I am pleased that the RMT has now taken up the offer, where all options will be considered to achieve a resolution to this dispute.”

RMT agreed to the talks because it said Merseyrail would consider for the first time retaining a second member of staff on trains.