No trains in Dorset on Friday amid strike action
ASLEF union strike action is impacting South Western Railway services
Nationwide strike action by the train union’s is going to impact train travel in the South West severely this weekend.
South Western Railway say an extremely limited service will be in operation on Friday 1st September as ASLEF Union walking out, with a significantly reduced service available on Saturday 2nd September, as the RMT Union is taking strike action.
This latest round of strike action affects SWR’s main line drivers, with previous ASLEF walkouts limited to depot drivers who deal with trains being brought in and out of service.
And with significantly less main line drivers available, the SWR timetable is much different to previous strikes.
As a result there will be no trains beyond Basingstoke on Friday, meaning there will be no trains to or from Salisbury, Southampton or Weymouth.
More of the SWR network will be open on Saturday, with a service between Southampton Central and London Waterloo, with trains running between 7.00am and 7.00pm.
South Western Railway's Chief Operating Officer, Stuart Meek, said:
“This is the first time our network has been subject to full strike action by members of the ASLEF Union and, as a result, we are only able to offer an extremely limited service on Friday 1 September.
“If customers must travel on either day, they should check their entire journey before travelling, with other operators also impacted by strike action. We're really sorry for the disruption."