Rail network brought to a standstill with disruption likely until the New Year

Rail strikes are set to disrupt South Western Rail services from today – Tuesday - through to Christmas and beyond.

The RMT has started the first in a series of 48 hour strikes today, however industrial action of various forms will hit train services through to January 9.

The strikes surround a dispute over a pay offer worth around 9 per cent over two years, which represents a cut when set against the higher rate of inflation, coupled with changes to working conditions requiring more weekend and night working.

SWR has advised the public that they should 'only travel if absolutely necessary' during the strikes.

This week, the RMT is taking national strike action on Tuesday and Wednesday and then again on Friday and Saturday.

On these strike days, a severely reduced timetable will run on some routes between 7.30am and 6.30pm, with the rest of the network closed entirely.

Due to the knock on effect of strike days, first trains will be much later than usual and be very busy both on Thursday and Sunday.

SWR is asking the public to 'only travel if absolutely necessary throughout this strike period'.

Separately, members of the TSSA union have notified SWR that its members have been instructed not to book on for any overtime on these dates. However, the organisation may yet call off its industrial action with a ballot of members taking place this week.

A further RMT national strike is expected to take place from December 24-27. It was already the case that were would be no SWR services on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

The RMT has signalled that there will be another 48 hour strike on January 3 and 4 followed by another one on January 6 and 7.

SWR said: "We are working with Network Rail to agree a reduced timetable, but customers should expect severe disruption and large parts of our network to be closed on those dates."

This morning, tRail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) general secretary, Mick Lynch, accused the Government of blocking a resolution to the dispute and so 'spoiling of the people's Christmas'.

He told Good Morning Britain that Network Rail and the Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, have time to improve their offer before Christmas.

"They've already invited me to a set of talks and we'll attend those to try and get a settlement to this dispute. And when our members decide that they want to accept it, that's when the dispute will be finished," he said.

Mr Harper claimed rail workers are coming round to accepting the pay and conditions package on offer.

He said that 'almost 40%' of RMT members at Network Rail recently voted in favour of an offer to resolve the dispute.

He told GB News: 'I think the tide is turning on people seeing that the offers we have made are reasonable, taking into account both the travelling public but also the interest of taxpayers.'