South Western Railway strikes announced amid ticket fares rise meaning bad news for commuters

Rail commuters today faced a double whammy of ticket price increases and the threat of strikes lasting for months.

After yesterday’s fare rise announcement, the RMT union today said that three further 24-hour walkouts by more than 800 guards would take place on South Western Railway.

The strikes, on Sunday, September 2 and the Saturdays of September 8 and 15, were announced in the dispute over train driver-only operation (DOO).

This is in addition to walkouts already announced for this Saturday, August 18, and the Friday and Saturday of 31 August 31 and September 1 — turning the latter into a 72-hour walkout.

Half the SWR train service could face cancellation or major disruption on each day. An SWR spokesman called the strikes “totally unnecessary and pointless... we have guaranteed to roster a second person on all our trains and we have guaranteed terms and conditions.”

Passengers learned yesterday that rail fares are to rise by 3.2 per cent next year. Transport organisations said the increase would hit family budgets, while commuters said that it was unfair after months of delays and cancellations on many lines.

Rail tickets become more expensive every January, with the increase in about 40 per cent of fares regulated by the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments.

This includes season tickets on most commuter routes, some off-peak return tickets on long-distance journeys and Anytime tickets around major cities. Price rises for these tickets are capped at July’s RPI figure.

Pressure group Railfuture said passengers are being treated like “second-class citizens compared to motorists”.

In the SWR dispute, union leaders this week accused the company of “sabotaging” talks, saying it had “no intention” of reaching a deal.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “RMT is angry and frustrated that the company’s cavalier and contemptuous approach to talks leaves us no option but to confirm additional strike dates.

“SWR have benefited from a fares windfall that will pump up their profits. They have plenty of money to employ guards on their trains and to sign off the guard guarantee the union has achieved elsewhere.”

Under new legislation, all strike ballots held after March 2017 are only valid for six months. Two previous ballots among SWR guards heavily endorsed strike action. Now the union is going for a third ballot, with the result due on September 6.