A one-day South Western Railway (SWR) strike will affect routes on Saturday 22 December, playing havoc with many passengers' Christmas travel plans. Two further days of walkouts impacting train travel over the New Year are planned for Thursday 27 December and Monday 31 December.
A reduced service will run on most of the South Western Railway network on the strike days. Some routes will not have a train service or a replacement bus service and engineering works may also affect passenger journeys.
Action will apply across the network and impact journeys into London terminating at Waterloo and Richmond stations; the Island Line on the Isle of Wight will operate as normal.
When are the strikes taking place?
Strike action will take place between 12.01am and 11.59pm on Saturday 22, Thursday 27 and Monday 31 December.
Which services are affected?
The following routes will be affected this Saturday. Details may change at the last minute as timetables are finalised, so check the South Western Railway website for up-to-date details of services.
Exeter St Davids to Exeter Central has no train service, but rail replacement buses are available.
Virginia Water to Weybridge has no train service, but rail replacement buses are available.
Guildford to Hinchley Wood and Leatherhead has no train service, but rail replacement buses are available.
Hampton Court to Surbiton has no train service, but rail replacement buses are available.
There’s no service between Shepperton and Teddington.
There’s no service from Barnes Bridge to Whitton or Feltham.
There’s no service from Aldershot to Guildford.
There’s no service from Romsey to Chandler’s Ford.
Other stations will have no train or replacement bus services: Longcross, Micheldever, Shawford and Holton Heath.
Most other routes have a reduced SWR service and/or other train operators running services on the line. Check the South Western Railway website for full details of which trains are running.
Can I use my ticket on other train operators?
On strike days, passengers can use their ticket on the following train operators at no extra cost:
GWR
You can use your South Western Railway ticket (including Advance tickets) on the routes below:
Bristol – Salisbury, via Warminster
Salisbury – Portsmouth Harbour/Havant, via Fareham
Yeovil Pen Mill – Salisbury via Castle Cary and Warminster.
If you’re travelling from between Crewkerne and Exeter, you can use your ticket (including Advance tickets) on GWR trains between Exeter and London Paddington via Newbury.
If you hold a daily ticket between Basingstoke and London Waterloo routed “via Woking”, you can use this on GWR trains between Basingstoke and London Paddington via Reading.
CrossCountry
You can use your South Western Railway ticket (including Advance tickets) on CrossCountry train services between Bournemouth and Reading.
Transport for London
If you have a paper Single, Return or Season ticket between rail stations on the following bus routes, you can present it to the driver of the bus for travel in either direction at no extra charge:
- Route 65: Richmond – Kew Bridge – Brentford
- Route 111: Hampton – Hampton Court – Kingston
- Route 117: Feltham – Hounslow (Town Centre) – Isleworth
- Route 190: Richmond – North Sheen – Chiswick
- Route 216: Sunbury – Hampton – Hampton Court – Kingston
- Route 235: Feltham – Islewort – Syon Lane – Brentford
- Route 237: Hounslow (Town Centre) – Isleworth – Brentford (County Court) – Kew Bridge
- Route 281: Hounslow – Twickenham – Fulwell – Teddington – Hampton Wick – Kingston – Surbiton
- Route 290: Staines – Sunbury – Fulwell – Twickenham
- Route 411: Hampton Court – Kingston
- Route E8: Hounslow – Isleworth – Brentford
- Route K2: Berrylands – Surbiton
- Route K3: Surbiton – Kingston – Norbiton
- Route K4: Surbiton – Kingston – Norbiton
If you use a Pay As You Go Oyster card you’ll need to pay the appropriate bus fare.
Transport for London, London Underground will be accepting paper Single, Return or Season tickets at no extra cost between London Paddington and London Waterloo.
Are any rail replacement bus services available?
Yes. Check the South Western Railway website for more information.
Can I get compensation for disruptions to my journey?
If you travel on a strike day and experience delays of 15 minutes or more to your journey, you are eligible to compensation. Find out more here.
If your train is cancelled or delayed and you have an off-peak, super off-peak, advance or anytime ticket and decide not to travel, SWR states that passengers will be entitled to a full refund.
Can I start my journey at a different station to that on my ticket?
If you hold a monthly or longer season ticket, SWR maintains that your ticket may be used from/to another station on the same line of route as the original ticket. This only applies to SWR services.
Why are staff striking?
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union are taking industrial action over a dispute regarding the future of guards on trains.
The RMT maintains that guards are essential in ensuring passenger safety and in case of emergencies such as derailment, evacuation, fires and driver incapacity. Guards can also offer advice and assistance to passengers and help disabled passengers to embark and disembark.
RMT general secretary, Mick Cash, said of the latest decision to strike: “South Western Railway continues to refuse to make any progress at all in resolving this dispute, which is about safety, security and access on South Western Railway. The company are hell bent on opening up a loophole that would allow them to run services driver only at their discretion.
“Recent figures have shown a shocking surge in violence on our railways across the festive season and it is frankly appalling that South Western Railway are looking for a green light to throw the guard off their trains as and when they see fit in the name of profit.
“SWR might think it’s acceptable to play fast and loose with passenger safety, security and access but RMT members, who have stood firm throughout this dispute despite appalling harassment from the company, will not accept a dilution of the safety regime on the railway.”
SWR said in a statement: “By targeting the last Saturday before Christmas when people are trying to travel to be with family and friends the RMT is ensuring the maximum misery is inflicted at what should be a time of relaxation and enjoyment.
“This action is totally unnecessary. We have guaranteed to roster a guard on every train, and we need more, not fewer guards – 70 more by May 2019 – and we have an opportunity with the introduction of the new suburban trains to operate these trains differently to maximise the customer benefits.
“The RMT is scaremongering by using crime in its statement. The number of crimes on the SWR network has reduced by nearly 6 per cent since April. SWR’s team of 35 Rail Community Officers work on trains and at stations to prevent and detect crimes. They work closely with BTP officers to help reduce incidents on the network, engaging with customers and highlighting suspicious activity.
“Should this action go ahead, we will do everything we can to provide the best service possible for our customers.”
For more information, click here for updates on the South Western Railway website.
