Updated: No Rail Service Again from Guildford During Today’s Strike

Published on: 26 Jul, 2022
Updated on: 27 Jul, 2022

South Western Railway (SWR) is urging customers only to travel by rail if absolutely necessary during RMT’s strike day today, Wednesday July 27.

There will be no services on the Waterloo to Portsmouth line thorough Guildford and only a limited service from 07.15 to 18.30, four trains per hour, to London, from Woking.

Network Rail and more than 2,100 SWR RMT members are set to take strike action over pay and conditions. Customers are being told to expect severe disruption and, if they have to travel, to seek alternatives to the railway.

SWR has published their strike day service levels, which will provide a limited service on the routes Network Rail have made available.

Network Rail will provide contingency cover for critical roles including electrical control room operators, signallers, and maintenance and response teams, but will not be able to cover the whole day.

Significant disruption is also expected tomorrow (Thursday), when there will be a late-starting service, with first trains operating much later than usual. Customers should check before they travel.

RMT has announced further strikes will be taking place in August on Thursday, 18th and Saturday, 20th.

South Western Railway’s managing director, Claire Mann, said: “The scale of the planned industrial action limits the number of trains we can run and routes we can serve, resulting in the severely reduced service we are able to operate on the strike day.

“We urge customers to only travel by rail if absolutely necessary on Wednesday 27 July, and to check before you travel on Thursday 28 July, as we will be running a late-starting service due to the disruption of the strike the previous day.

“We are sorry that strikes will again cause such disruption, and we are grateful to our customers for their continued cooperation, patience, and understanding as the rail industry works to end this damaging nationwide strike action.”

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said in a statement on July 14: “The rail industry and the government need to understand that this dispute will not simply vanish.

“They need to get serious about providing an offer on pay which helps deal with the cost-of-living crisis, job security for our members and provides good conditions at work.

“Recent proposals from Network Rail fell well short on pay and on safety around maintenance work. And the train operating companies have not even made us a pay offer in recent negotiations.

“We remain open for talks, but we will continue our campaign until we reach a negotiated settlement.”

The latest information on services can be found at: www.southwesternrailway.com/strike