Don't travel by train: Warning to commuters as strikers begin 'double whammy' of walkouts

Amber Rudd has joined the assault on 'completely unacceptable' Southern Rail strikes as commuters brace for every week of distress.

The Dwelling Secretary, whose constituents will likely be amongst these badly hit, stated the motion by unions was pointless.

The condemnation got here on the eve of a journey lockdown when a 'double whammy' of strikes will successfully halt Southern Rail companies round London – a catastrophe for the 500,00zero each day passengers that depend on them.

Prospects have been advised they 'mustn't try and journey' tomorrow, Wednesday or on Friday. Companies to and from Gatwick airport may also be badly hit.

Commuters within the South face a journey lockdown from tomorrow with a 'double-whammy' of commercial motion on their trains

Each administration and unions at Southern Rail have been criticised by passengers over failures together with routine cancellations, delays and harmful overcrowding.

Employees at Southern Rail are preventing modifications over the position of conductors and a transfer to driver-only trains, which they are saying will compromise security.

Members of the Rail Maritime and Transport union will strike tomorrow, Wednesday and Friday. There will likely be walkouts on the identical days by drivers who're members of Aslef, whereas companies on different days will likely be badly disrupted by their time beyond regulation ban.

Southern is launching a last-ditch bid to dam the strikes with authorized motion on the Court docket of Attraction at the moment. It follows an unsuccessful try on the Excessive Court docket final week. 

If this fails, the corporate warned travellers: 'There will likely be no Southern service on Tuesday 13, Wednesday 14, and Friday 16 December and you shouldn't try and journey.'

Companies on Southern Rail round London will likely be halted – a catastrophe for the 500,00zero each day passengers that depend on them

Southern Rail director, Alex Foulds stated: 'This industrial motion is a clearly co-ordinated and cynical manoeuvre by the unions to deliver but additional journey distress to passengers in addition to having a detrimental affect on the regional financial system when it least wants it.'

Passengers making an attempt to get from London to the south coast, or to succeed in Gatwick, might strive utilizing Thameslink trains. However carriages and platforms will wrestle to manage.

TIMETABLE OF CHAOS 

Southern will likely be hit by 5 separate waves of commercial motion within the coming weeks.

Walkout from midnight tomorrow to 23.59 Wednesday, by members of Aslef, the practice drivers' union, and RMT, the transport union

00:01 Friday, December 16 to 23:59: Friday, December 16, motion by drivers related to Aslef and RMT

00:01 Monday, December 19 to 23:59 Tuesday, December 20, strike by conductors who're members of RMT. Was initially deliberate for December 22 to 24.

00:01 Saturday, December 31 to 23:59 Monday, January 2, motion by RMT conductors

00:01 Monday, January 9 to 23:59 Saturday, January 14, walkout by drivers, organised by Aslef and RMT 

Southern Rail is a part of Govia Thameslink Railway. Its chief govt Charles Horton stated: 'This motion is having a extreme and important affect on our capacity to run our practice companies.' 

In the meantime, a gaggle of practice passengers has known as on the unions to droop strikes and time beyond regulation bans – and wrote an open letter asking the Prime Minister to satisfy union leaders. 

The Reigate, Redhill & District Rail Customers Affiliation will attempt to beat the strike with a automobile pool system. 

It even seemed into chartering a practice to function between Surrey and London at a price of £35,00zero.

Its letter reads: 'We now have listened to your rhetoric that your authorities will likely be for the atypical individuals. We're atypical individuals and name on you to intervene straight.'

Labour Mayor of London Sadiq Khan additionally known as on unions to cancel strikes however accused the Authorities of 'washing their palms of the disaster'. 

Mick Whelan, basic secretary of Aslef, stated the adoption of driver solely operated trains (DOO) was 'inherently unsafe'. Nevertheless it emerged that he agreed to broaden DOO companies on the First Capital Join franchise 5 years in the past.

Mrs Rudd stated her Hastings and Rye constituency was 'struggling' and dismissed the objections from unions.

'It's completely unacceptable that our native space and communities will endure additional strikes over driver solely operated trains once they already run safely throughout a lot of the UK community, and when present employees will take house the identical pay following the modifications proposed by the practice firm,' she stated.

'Southern's plans, opposed by the unions, will result in higher journeys for passengers. I name on either side to come back collectively and produce an finish to this depressing interval of strikes and industrial motion suffered by our constituents.'

Huw Merriman, a Tory member of the Commons transport choose committee, stated: 'The truth that Mick Whelan signed a letter committing Aslef to drive DOO trains lays naked the hypocrisy of Aslef's industrial motion.' 

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