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South Western Railway strike: passengers face eight more walkouts over summer

South Western Railway passengers are facing eight more strikes in the long-running dispute over the role of guards on trains.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union on South Western Railway will walk out on eight dates from July 26 to the beginning of September.

The move follows a deal between the union and Greater Anglia to end a similar dispute, which the RMT said guarantees a guard on trains.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "RMT is making a very simple request of South Western Railway - that they take note of what is going on elsewhere in the rail industry and come forward with serious proposals that give a cast-iron guarantee of guards on their services and a halt to the rolling out of driver-only operation.

"It is RMT's firm belief that a deal can be done and an agreement reached like we have with other train operating companies, but that requires a responsible and serious attitude from SWR towards this dispute which is all about safe and accessible railways for all, underpinned by the guard guarantee we have successfully negotiated in Wales, Scotland and other parts of England."

Disputes over the role of guards remain unresolved on Southern Railway, Merseyrail and Arriva Rail North.

The strikes are expected to cause travel chaos on some of the country's busiest rail routes (PA)
The strikes are expected to cause travel chaos on some of the country's busiest rail routes (PA)

An SWR spokesman said: "We have been engaged in ongoing talks with the RMT and are surprised and disappointed that it has decided to call further strikes, especially at a time when families want to be out and about enjoying the summer holidays.

"We will continue to seek a resolution and work hard to minimise any disruption to our customers."

Additional reporting by Press Association