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| Southern rail strike: Five-day walkout begins | Southern rail strike: Five-day walkout begins |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The prime minister "strongly condemns" a five-day strike disrupting services for hundreds of thousands of Southern passengers, Downing Street has said. | |
| Hundreds of trains have been cancelled because of a walkout in a row over the role of conductors. | |
| The RMT union claimed "rock-solid support" and said the central issue was safety. | |
| A spokesman for Theresa May said the action was "only going to cause more disruption and misery". | |
| Southern is running about 60% of its normal timetable. | Southern is running about 60% of its normal timetable. |
| Parent rail firm Govia Thameslink (GTR) is in a bitter dispute with the RMT over plans for drivers to operate doors on new trains using CCTV. | Parent rail firm Govia Thameslink (GTR) is in a bitter dispute with the RMT over plans for drivers to operate doors on new trains using CCTV. |
| BBC Correspondent Ben Thompson said the strike, which started at 00:01 and ends at 23:59 BST on Friday, is the longest on the railways since 1968. | |
| It follows a series of one-day strikes since 26 April after the union balloted 393 members. | It follows a series of one-day strikes since 26 April after the union balloted 393 members. |
| Live updates on Southern strike | Live updates on Southern strike |
| Latest disruption information on BBC Travel | Latest disruption information on BBC Travel |
| Southern is the main operator for Sussex and east Surrey and also runs services in London, Kent, Hampshire and Buckinghamshire. | Southern is the main operator for Sussex and east Surrey and also runs services in London, Kent, Hampshire and Buckinghamshire. |
| Last month, it brought in a reduced timetable in response to continued cancellations and delays, blaming issues with crew availability. | |
| A rail users group in east Surrey said the latest disruption was "another heavy slap in the face for poor, tired and frustrated commuters". | |
| In a statement, the Reigate, Redhill and District Rail Users' Association said: "Members of the RMT have guaranteed jobs, a good salary and a reasonable work/life balance. | |
| "Whereas the long-suffering commuters are under threat of losing jobs, losing salary, losing holiday and being unable to get home to their families. | |
| "The RMT leadership shows utter contempt to rail users by ruining their daily lives for the honour of pushing a button to close train doors." | "The RMT leadership shows utter contempt to rail users by ruining their daily lives for the honour of pushing a button to close train doors." |
| Corinee Graehame is a disabled train user from Hastings. | |
| She said: "It's very hard to get on a packed train when people are already sitting in disabled seats and staff don't want to help with a ramp. | |
| "I have been told to just sit in my scooter, if I can get on a train." | |
| Photographer Hannah Kenyon, 27, has hired a car for the week for her journey from Hove to Emsworth. | Photographer Hannah Kenyon, 27, has hired a car for the week for her journey from Hove to Emsworth. |
| She paid about £100 for the car rental - on top of her usual £55.40 train fare. | She paid about £100 for the car rental - on top of her usual £55.40 train fare. |
| Ms Kenyon said: "It's been awful. With the delays and cancellations I've had to try to finish work early to get home. | Ms Kenyon said: "It's been awful. With the delays and cancellations I've had to try to finish work early to get home. |
| "But this week I just couldn't get to work. | "But this week I just couldn't get to work. |
| "It's not exactly great for me, having to drive and go on the motorway, but I didn't really have a choice." | "It's not exactly great for me, having to drive and go on the motorway, but I didn't really have a choice." |
| The Conservative MP for Lewes Maria Caulfield tweeted: "Judging by my inbox this morning the tide has turned against the unions in this industrial dispute." | The Conservative MP for Lewes Maria Caulfield tweeted: "Judging by my inbox this morning the tide has turned against the unions in this industrial dispute." |
| Fellow East Sussex MP Huw Merriman is tweeting a video diary of his journey from Bexhill to Brighton via Eastbourne. He said he was "a bit disappointed Southern rail couldn't find some buses to put as a replacement service". | |
| The Campaign for Better Transport and a Southern passenger group, the Association of British Commuters, plan to march from London Victoria station to the Department for Transport on Wednesday afternoon to hand in a "six-foot letter". | |
| It calls on the new Rail Minister Paul Maynard to "listen to passengers, freeze fares and pay compensation". | |
| But RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "The strike action this morning is rock solid across the Southern rail network as we fight to put rail safety before the profits of the failed Govia Thameslink operation. | But RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "The strike action this morning is rock solid across the Southern rail network as we fight to put rail safety before the profits of the failed Govia Thameslink operation. |
| "This action has been forced on us by the arrogance and inaction of Govia Thameslink and the government, who have made it clear that they have no interest in resolving this dispute or in tackling the daily chaos on Southern." | |
| The RMT has called on GTR to match terms offered by ScotRail in a similar dispute. | |
| GTR chief executive Charles Horton said the RMT action was "completely unacceptable, unjustified and unnecessary" and he apologised for the "inconvenience and disruption to passengers' lives as a result". | GTR chief executive Charles Horton said the RMT action was "completely unacceptable, unjustified and unnecessary" and he apologised for the "inconvenience and disruption to passengers' lives as a result". |
| He said the union rejected GTR's eight-point offer "out of hand". | He said the union rejected GTR's eight-point offer "out of hand". |
| No trains are running between: | No trains are running between: |
| Other lines have a "significantly reduced service" between 07:30 and 18:00 only: | Other lines have a "significantly reduced service" between 07:30 and 18:00 only: |
| See Southern rail's map of revised services during the strike | See Southern rail's map of revised services during the strike |
| Are you affected by the rail strike? You can share your comments and experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | Are you affected by the rail strike? You can share your comments and experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or use the form below | Or use the form below |