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Passengers disrupted over Southern conductors' strike Passengers disrupted over Southern conductors' strike
(about 4 hours later)
Passengers on Southern railway are facing more than 24 hours of disruption due to a strike by conductors over their role and driver-only trains. A strike by conductors on Southern railway has begun with passengers facing more than 24 hours of disruption.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union will walk out from 11:00 BST, with services being reduced from 07:30 BST. The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union claimed there was "rock-solid" support from members in a row over their role and driver-only trains.
Regional organiser Paul Cox said it had been left with "no alternative". Southern said it would operate a planned revised timetable.
Southern said many routes would have no services at all and queuing systems would be in operation at stations. About 700 services are cancelled over two days, mainly in Sussex and east Surrey.
Several routes have no service at all and passengers have been warned to expect queues at stations.
Live updates on the strikeLive updates on the strike
The strike is due to end on Wednesday at 11:00 BST but Southern said services would not return to normal until Thursday.
Two further 24-hour stoppages are planned at the same time on 10 and 12 May.
In a message to passengers, Southern said: "You may have a long wait before you are able to board a train. Unfortunately we cannot guarantee to get you to your destination."In a message to passengers, Southern said: "You may have a long wait before you are able to board a train. Unfortunately we cannot guarantee to get you to your destination."
Southern rail strike: Affected routesSouthern rail strike: Affected routes
Southern, which is owned by Govia Thameslink Railway and operates in Sussex, Surrey and parts of London, Kent and Hampshire, plans changes to the role of conductors which will see responsibility for operating the doors switched to the driver. Southern, which is owned by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) and serves Sussex, Surrey and parts of London, Kent and Hampshire, said the changes would make conductors more visible while drivers would operate doors.
It said there would be no job losses or cuts in salary and the changes would make staff more visible. It said there would be no job losses or cuts in salary.
The RMT said passenger numbers had "increased dramatically" and conductors were "the eyes and ears preventing a major tragedy on the platforms and carriages". Dyan Crowther, chief operating officer for GTR, insisted driver-only operation was safe: "Over 60% of our services already operate from a driver-only perspective. Our rail regulator, our safety regulator also says it is safe".
Mr Cox said the union had offered to discuss changes to the role "that would retain the operational and safety commitment from the conductors, but it fell on deaf ears". She said Southern's new rolling stock had CCTV in drivers' cabs so the role of conductors would "evolve" to become "on-board supervisors".
The Conservative MP for Wealden, Nus Ghani, told BBC Sussex: "The changes proposed, driver-only-operated trains, are happening on a third of the network already. The Conservative MP for Wealden, Nus Ghani, told BBC Sussex: "I do not remember the last time I got on a train and there was someone to help me physically, on or off."
"I do not remember the last time I got on a train and there was someone to help me physically, on or off. Drivers can manage the doors," she added. But Paul Cox, RMT organiser, said guards knew how to stop oncoming trains and "save lives, in the event of an emergency or accident if the driver is incapacitated".
Southern's passenger services director, Alex Foulds, said the strike was "totally unnecessary". He said under the proposed changes, conductors would be "train-hopping, because you can not cover more trains with fewer people".
He warned passengers to "check before they travel".
"Some routes will have a reduced service, some routes will have no train at all, and some trains will stop operating at about 6pm," he said.
Two further 24-hour strikes are planned at the same time on 10 and 12 May.