Strike action for two days next week will see the Island Line train service come to a halt.
RMT members will be striking on Wednesday (8th) and Thursday (9th) meaning passengers will have to rely on a rail replacement bus service instead (timetable to follow).
The strike will affect the entire region of the South Western franchise, now held by First MTR South Western Railway. Full details of mainland services can be found on their Website.
MD: “Hugely disappointing” strike action
Andy Mellors, the Managing Director for South Western Railway, told customers today,
“It is with great regret that I am writing to let you that the RMT Executive has announced its intention to hold strikes on South Western Railway, on 8 and 9 November. This is hugely disappointing given the positive talks we have been having with local union representatives.
“Our discussions have been around the introduction of a new fleet of suburban trains which will start to arrive in 2019 and be fully introduced by December 2020. These modern trains will transform the travelling experience for many of you, as they will have air-conditioning, toilets, at seat charging facilities and improved Wi-Fi.
“These new trains can be operated in a variety of ways and we have been talking to the RMT about which method of operation will be most beneficial in terms of performance and customer service. As part of these discussions we have guaranteed that we will roster a Guard on every train; and that those Guards will continue to be trained in safety procedures.
“Our existing longer distance trains, which will all be refurbished during the franchise, are not part of these discussions and will continue to operate in the same way as they do today.
“We have also made clear to the RMT, we are guaranteeing jobs, salaries and terms and conditions of Guards. In fact, as we expand our fleet and services, we will be creating more jobs.
“Earlier this week following a meeting with our local RMT representatives we wrote to the RMT General Secretary setting out a framework for the operation of the new suburban fleet which would allow these talks to continue in the joint hope of finding a solution which would not inconvenience you, our passengers.”
Mellors: “Hope common sense will prevail”
The MD went on to say,
“It is therefore immensely frustrating that, despite this, the RMT Executive chose to ignore this offer and instead involve our employees and you, our passengers, in damaging strike action.
“No one wants a strike. I still hope that common sense will prevail and the RMT will come back to the table and work with us find a way forward. While this would be by far the best outcome for all of us; we cannot rely on this. To this end, we have trained a team of contingency Guards from within our workforce to provide you with the best service possible should these strikes go ahead. I sincerely hope we don’t have to deploy them and that we can persuade the RMT that industrial action is not in anyone’s interests.
“Now we have the strike dates we are finalising our contingency timetable. Once ready we will publish this on our website and update journey planning systems so that you can plan your journey.
