Rail strikes to go ahead after talks on guards collapse

HOPES of averting some of the strikes set to cause disruption to rail services next week have collapsed, leaving bitter disputes over the role of guards deadlocked.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) will walk out on Monday, Wednesday and Friday on South Western Railway (SWR), Arriva Rail North (Northern), Merseyrail and Greater Anglia, and on Monday on Southern. Unsuccessful talks have been held with SWR and Arriva.

Northern said it will run around 1,350 services on strike days, while SWR plans to run more than 70 per cent of its service. Andy Mellors, SWR’S managing director, said: “We are sorry that our passengers will once again suffer due to this unnecessary strike action called by the RMT executive.”

Mick Cash, general secretary of the RMT, said it had offered to suspend the strikes if talks could go ahead on guaranteeing a guard, with safety critical competence, on every train.