More misery for customers as Southern Rail stage five day walkout over train doors
The longest rail strike since 1968 has begun, with hundreds of trains cancelled on the Southern network across south east England. A five-day walkout by members of the RMT union started at midnight in a row over the role of conductors.
Parent rail firm Govia Thameslink (GTR) is in a bitter dispute with the RMT union over plans for drivers to operate the doors on new trains using CCTV. BBC Correspondent Ben Thompson said the five-day walkout is the longest industrial action on the railways since 1968.
The union has staged several one-day strikes since 26 April after a vote by 393 members. Last month, Southern brought in a reduced timetable in response to continued cancellations and delays, blaming issues with crew availability during a dispute with the RMT.
Passengers have described 70-minute commutes taking three or four hours, being “turfed off trains” and feeling “utterly powerless” in the ongoing saga.
