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| Southern rail strike: Five-day walkout begins | Southern rail strike: Five-day walkout begins |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The prime minister "strongly condemns" a five-day strike disrupting services for hundreds of thousands of Southern passengers, Downing Street has said. | 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 in a row over plans for drivers, not conductors, to operate carriage doors. | |
| The RMT union claimed "rock-solid support" and said the central issue was safety. | 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". | A spokesman for Theresa May said the action was "only going to cause more disruption and misery". |
| 946 trains cancelled | 946 trains cancelled |
| Southern said it was operating nearly 60% of its regular timetable and nine in 10 of those were "running on time". | Southern said it was operating nearly 60% of its regular timetable and nine in 10 of those were "running on time". |
| A spokeswoman admitted 946 of its normal 2,242 services would be cancelled each day during the stoppage. | A spokeswoman admitted 946 of its normal 2,242 services would be cancelled each day during the stoppage. |
| Parent rail firm Govia Thameslink (GTR) thanked passengers for their "patience and understanding" and called on the RMT "to let this strike be the last". | |
| Southern rail strike: Your rights | |
| 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. | 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. |
| The RMT has held a series of one-day strikes since April after balloting 393 members. | The RMT has held a series of one-day strikes since April after balloting 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 with services running to London, Kent, Hampshire and Buckinghamshire. | Southern is the main operator for Sussex and east Surrey with services running to 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. | 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". | A rail users group in east Surrey said the latest disruption was "another heavy slap in the face for poor, tired and frustrated commuters". |
| Analysis by BBC South transport correspondent Paul Clifton: | |
| Southern employs several thousand people. Just over 300 of them voted for these strikes. But because most trains to the south coast carry guards, that is enough to stop some services altogether and disrupt most others. | |
| The situation is exactly the same today as it was five months ago. The union will not budge on having a safety-qualified guard on every train that currently has one. It will not discuss whether the driver or guard closes the train doors without that promise. And the company is not budging either. | |
| For passengers, things could get a lot worse. More than 1,000 platform staff are currently balloting for strike action over the closure of some ticket offices and a new role of "station host". | |
| At the same time, drivers on Southern and Gatwick Express are also holding a separate strike ballot. Those results will be known by the end of the month. | |
| On top of that, Southern still has a chronic shortage of train crew. That is why it has an emergency timetable, cancelling 340 trains a day even when there is no strike. And that emergency timetable will continue for at least another month. | |
| 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. | 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. | "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. | 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. | 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." | "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 and member of the Transport Select Committee Huw Merriman has tweeted 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". | Fellow East Sussex MP and member of the Transport Select Committee Huw Merriman has tweeted 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". | 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". | It calls on the new Rail Minister Paul Maynard to "listen to passengers, freeze fares and pay compensation". |
| RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "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. | RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "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. |
| "Our fight is with the company and the government who have dragged this franchise into total meltdown. We share the anger and frustration of passengers and we cannot sit back while jobs and safety are compromised on these dangerously overcrowded trains." | "Our fight is with the company and the government who have dragged this franchise into total meltdown. We share the anger and frustration of passengers and we cannot sit back while jobs and safety are compromised on these dangerously overcrowded trains." |
| The RMT has called on GTR to match terms offered by ScotRail in a similar dispute. | 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 |