Southern Britain rail passengers affected by strike

Chaos will rule over rails in Southern UK, as members of RMT union will disrupt the traffic due to a conductors' two-days strike

Passengers in Southern Britain will be affected by a Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union two-days strike starting April 26^th. Officials expect massive service disruptions, commuter routes included.

London to Brighton route expects queues and crowding, while routes to Horsham, Hastings and Tonbridge will be canceled during the strike.

RMT reacted to the Southern decision to change roles for conductors, as the company wants to remove some of their responsibilities and focus on driver-only operations. People fear for passenger safety or losing their jobs.

Dyan Crowther, the chief operating officer of Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), reassured the conductors that the change is entirely risk-free:

“We absolutely refute that driver-only operation is unsafe: it’s a method that has been familiar to the network for 30 years. We’re introducing a new train fleet and technology to evolve the role of the conductor on board: we want to free the conductor from doing the door duties so they can finish the transactions. The main driving reason is customer service.”

In response, RMT stated that the company is putting profits before public safety. Mick Cash, the union’s general secretary, commented: “Let us be crystal clear – this dispute is about safety and the safety critical role of the guards on Southern trains. The company, with an eye on ever fatter profits, is prepared to axe the guards on some of the most overcrowded and potentially dangerous services in Britain so that they can squeeze every last penny out of their passengers, regardless of the consequences. We urge the public once again to support their rail workers. Our job is your safety.”

At the same time, driver's union Aslef prepares for a strike on Gatwick Express, as Southern was not available for negotiations with the unions so far. 24-hour conductors strikes are expected to be organized again in May if the issue will not be addressed by Southern.