Hundreds of thousands of passengers face disruption in first of eight strikes on SWR

600 trains have been cancelled affecting all routes Credit: Victoria Jones/PA

Around 650,000 passengers are facing disruption on South Western Railway as the first of eight strikes by the RMT union begins.

The long-running dispute centres on changes to the role of guards on trains which the union say is unsafe, which SWR strongly deny.

Members have walked out for 24 hours, with the next strike on Saturday.

Six hundred trains have been cancelled, affecting all routes.

On a normal day the company runs 1,700 trains.

The company say most routes will have a reduced service with buses replacing trains on some lines.

Andy Mellors, Managing Director, South Western Railway

RMT strike action is planned on the following dates:

  • 0001 Hours and 2359 Hours on Thursday 26 July 2018

  • 0001 Hours and 2359 Hours on Saturday 28 July 2018

  • 0001 Hours and 2359 Hours on Tuesday 31 July 2018

  • 0001 Hours and 2359 Hours on Saturday 4 August 2018

  • 0001 Hours and 2359 Hours on Saturday 11 August 2018

  • 0001 Hours and 2359 Hours on Saturday 18 August 2018

  • 0001 Hours on Friday 31 August 2018 and 2359 Hours on Saturday 1 September 2018

All the latest updates can be found on the South Western Railway website.

Credit: ITV Meridian