A Southern Railway passenger had her job offer withdrawn because she would be relying on the strike-hit service to get to work, according to her MP.

Delays and cancellations have affected hundreds of thousands of passengers using Southern Railway in recent months.

Conservative MP for Arundel and South Downs, Nick Herbert, says the impact of action taken by "selfish" unions was "catastrophic".

Writing in The Daily Telegraph, he said: "Some commuters have lost jobs or become sick with worry.

Image: Mr Herbert said anger among commuters is completely justified

"Last week, one of my constituents had a vital new job offer withdrawn when the employer realised she would travel on Southern."


Mr Herbert claimed major contracts in the region had been cancelled because of the disputes.

"Passengers are routinely arriving at work or returning home hours late, straining their jobs and family life," he said.

"They are having to stand for entire journeys on late-running trains which are seriously overcrowded."

All Southern services will be halted for three days next week and six days in January after the company lost a High Court appeal.

Passengers face the biggest delays for years on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday next week.

About half of Southern's trains are already being cancelled because of a drivers' overtime ban and a strike by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union in a separate row over changes to the role of conductors.

"Passengers are no longer just irritated," Mr Herbert added. "They are furious to the point of mutiny.

"In over a decade, I have never encountered such anger among my constituents - and it is entirely justified."