Dorset rail commuters urged to 'only travel if absolutely necessary'
There are no SWR trains between Weymouth and Southampton today
South Western Railway (SWR) is urging customers to only travel if absolutely necessary today (16 March) and Saturday 18 March due to RMT industrial action.
While Network Rail strike action has been called off, strike action by SWR (and other train operator) RMT members will still take place, severely reducing the number of services that SWR can operate.
With 40% of the overall workforce eligible to strike, including guards, dispatchers and depot shunters, SWR’s contingency managers will only be able to cover a limited number of services between 0700 and 1830 on both Thursday 16 and Saturday 18 March.
South Western Railway’s Chief Operating Officer, Stuart Meek, said:
“I’m afraid I have to once again urge our customers to only travel if absolutely necessary on Thursday 16 and Saturday 18 March, and if you do have to travel, please check your entire journey as long-planned engineering works will affect services on the Saturday.
“While we are pleased to be able to provide additional services for Guildford and Salisbury during this round of strikes, we’re sorry that large parts of our network will still be closed. Our contingency managers are stepping in to provide the best service we can, and we thank our customers for their ongoing patience during these latest RMT strikes.”