Rail passengers are up against the worst train strike for two decades today

Rail passengers face the biggest disruption in two decades on Wednesday because of strikes against five operators in disputes over the role of guards.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) on Southern, South Western Railway (SWR) and Greater Anglia will strike on Wednesday and Thursday while a 24-hour walkout will be held at Merseyrail and Arriva Rail North on Wednesday.

Rail workers are said to be “solidly supporting” the series of strikes.

Picket lines were mounted outside stations across the country as the bitter disputes over the role of guards and driver-only trains remained deadlocked.

Hundreds of services will be cancelled, replacement buses will be laid on and services that do run will be busier than normal, passengers have been warned.

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The biggest disruption is threatened at SWR, which only took over the franchise from South West Trains in August, with more than a third of services set to be hit.

The RMT raised safety fears over the contingency plans of Greater Anglia, even though the company said they had been approved by the industry’s regulator, the Office of Rail and Road.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash 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.

“It is frankly sickening that Transport Secretary Chris Grayling and his supporters are prepared to sit back and cheer on overseas operators who are robbing British passengers blind while sacrificing basic safety standards in order to subsidise transport services in Paris, Amsterdam and Hong Kong.

“It’s time for the Government to lift the dead hand which is preventing rail companies from negotiating deals like the ones we have successfully struck in Wales and Scotland that guarantee a guard on the trains. If it’s good enough for Scotland and Wales it’s good enough for the rest of Britain.”

Mr Cash called on the government to call off the “centrally imposed blockade” on talks.

The Department for Transport said the large majority of services were running.

WHO IS STRIKING?

– SWR: The company, which only took over the franchise from South West Trains in August, plans to run two thirds of its regular timetabled 1,700 services. Some trains will be cancelled and replaced by buses, while others will be busier than usual.

– Merseyrail: Most services will run between 7am and 7pm, but there will be a break in service during the middle of the day, and some stations will be closed.

– Arriva Rail North: The majority of services will run between 7am and 7pm – around 65% of the normal weekday timetable.

– Southern: Services on most Southern routes will operate normally, but there will be some alterations, including a limited service on the West London line at peak times.

– Greater Anglia: The company is planning a full service.

National Express said more people were booking to travel by coach this week in areas affected by the strikes.