Rail passengers have experienced disruption because of a series of strikes across five train companies.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union began a 48-hour strike at South Western Railway on Wednesday, the first time the network had been hit by such action in the dispute. RMT members were also striking at Southern, where the dispute began last year, at Greater Anglia, Merseyrail and Northern, although staff at the last two will return to work on Thursday.
There was some hope for Southern passengers when drivers voted by a margin of 4-1 to accept a deal to end their long-running dispute over driver-operated trains. Members of Aslef backed the deal, which includes a 28.5% pay rise over the next five years, by 731 votes to 193, a majority of 79%. Turnout in the ballot was 87%.
Mick Whelan, the general secretary of Aslef, said: “Our members on Southern, after careful consideration and long and hard negotiations, have voted to accept this resolution to our industrial dispute with the company.”
On Wednesday South Western, one of Britain’s busiest commuter franchises, was running a third fewer trains owing to industrial action over the future of guards on trains.
There were picket lines at a number of stations, including Britain’s busiest station, Waterloo, in south London. The RMT described participation as “rock solid”. Commuters complained of cancellations and worse-than-normal overcrowding, while others adjusted their plans, taking different routes or working from home.
@SW_Help Train was late and packed with people, no aircon either.
— Marcello (@markaldan) November 8, 2017
I guess the strike was cancelled, as I saw no difference from any other wedensday
Train packed. Worth it to support the @RMTunion.
— Stephen Brennan (@Acting_Steve) November 8, 2017
The Department for Transport said the large majority of services were running, while the rail operators also sought to minimise the impact of the strike.
South Western, which was facing the worst of the disruption, with replacement buses running on some routes, suggested its network was not badly affected. “Many passengers heeded our advice to travel earlier, and although services were busier than usual, everyone was delivered safely to their destinations,” a spokesman said.
Greater Anglia, which was intending to run a full service, reported only minor disruption. Southern, which has long been beset by poor performance, had major delays on most of its routes despite pledging that most services would run normally. Northern said it was aiming to run 65% of services until 7pm, while Merseyrail said most of its trains would run until 7pm.
The RMT argues that the possibility of driver-only trains on South Western would discriminate against older passengers and those with disabilities, with about 70% of the stations on the network unstaffed.
South Western, like Northern and Greater Anglia, has said it has no plans to remove guards – but the RMT says the firms will not provide guarantees on this, while new trains entering service could be operated by a driver alone.
Southern has rebranded guards as onboard supervisors and downgraded their safety role.
Chris Grayling, the transport secretary, has accused the RMT of “calling political strikes” over things that were not happening. Labour has informed train operators it would halt any plans to remove guards.
The union’s general secretary, Mick Cash, who joined the picket at Waterloo, said: “RMT members stand solid, united and determined again this morning in the latest phase of strike action in a raft of separate disputes which are about putting safety, security and access to transport services before the profiteering of these rip-off private rail companies.
“Political and public support is flooding in as our communities choose to stand by their guards against the financially and politically motivated drive to throw safety-critical staff off our trains. The union salutes the members who are standing firm this morning for a safe and accessible railway for all.”
Cash blamed Grayling and Theresa May for blocking the operators from reaching an agreement in England that mirrored those in Wales and Scotland, which guarantee a guard on trains.
