South Western Railway response to RMT announcement

A South Western Railway spokesperson said: “We are disappointed that some of our staff have chosen to vote for industrial action. None of us want to be in this position and any potential action will cause unnecessary disruption for the customers we serve.

“We have been clear that we plan to retain a second person on our services, as we know that our passengers value the assurance and assistance a second member of on-board staff provides. That’s why, during our franchise, we will increase the numbers of drivers and guards so we can deliver more services for passengers.

“We aim to deliver improvements for passengers throughout the SWR franchise including new trains, quicker journeys, and earlier and later services. Today’s announcement undermines those efforts. We urge the RMT to avoid premature strike action and work with us to deliver for our customers, and we look forward to meeting them again to discuss our future plans on 5 October as already arranged.”