As the train strikes enter their final week, we spoke to commuters about how it has been affecting them

A month of strikes on the South Western Railway franchise comes to an end on New Year’s Day, with no sign of a peace deal and commuters complaining of chaotic journeys.

The disruption will affect some New Year’s Eve revellers as industrial action by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT ) union continues until 23:59 on New Year’s Day. The strike, which began on 2 December, followed a long-running dispute between the RMT and SWR over the role of guards on trains on one of the UK’s busiest commuter routes. Passengers may face further disruption in February, after the union started the process of balloting its members for new strikes.

Alina Dewshi, 23, a part-time accountant and law student who has had to catch a lift with her manager each morning, described the journey to work on the 7.16am train from Motspur Park in south west London to Leatherhead in Surrey as a “nightmare”.

“I can barely breathe because it’s so crowded, I nearly fainted on the first day of the strikes when I travelled into Waterloo for university,” she said.

Others are losing time with family and friends, having to leave parties to catch the last train home, or missing out on bath time with young children. South Western’s network stretches from London Waterloo to Portsmouth, Southampton, Exeter and Bristol, as well as suburban commuter lines in south-west London, Surrey, Berkshire and north-east Hampshire.

Jonathan Smith, who takes the 6.58am train from Farnham in Surrey to Waterloo, said the strikes had had a “monstrous” impact on his personal life.

“My children are three and nine months old, so when I get up they’re still asleep, and when I get back they’re already in bed,” he said. “I can’t read them a story, I essentially just don’t see my kids.”

Some commuters said they had been unable to get to work reliably, with many working from home where possible. Those with less flexible working arrangements have been forced to take extra holiday, or risk missing work altogether.

“South Western Railway is an unreliable company regardless of strike action, so travelling with them is usually some degree of stressful,” said 25-year-old Louis Vincent, who works in the music industry but has been forced to work at home for much of the strike.

Vincent, who travels from New Malden to Clapham Junction, said: “I feel like my time is being stolen and I’m still throwing money at them because there’s no other alternative.”

Despite the difficulties, some said they continued to support the strike and wanted SWR to commit to keeping guards on the trains – a key issue of the strike action.

“It’s important to have a guard on board so there is someone to look after passengers’ safety,” said Matti Kohonen, 40, a charity policy adviser who travels on the 7.46am train from Brookwood to Waterloo.

“If someone falls ill, the guard sometimes makes an announcement asking for a doctor. I think trains would be less safe without them, especially in the evening or at night where some stations outside London do not have staff,” he added.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Alison Bunce. Photograph: Alison Bunce

The two-year dispute centres on the role of guards on South Western’s trains, after the company decided to pass responsibility for closing the train’s doors from guards to drivers. SWR has said it would guarantee that a second crew member remained onboard, but unions believe guards could be made redundant if they were not responsible for a safety-critical operation.

Alison Bunce, 45, who works in retail and travels on the 7.31am train from Ash Vale to Richmond, said: “I’m having to get up at 4am to ensure that I’m in work on time. I’m losing about two to three hours a day.

“I am worn out now and I just resent the fact that I’m getting no money back from my season ticket.”

Bunce said she supported the reasons for the strike, but condemned passengers being “used as pawns” in the ongoing dispute. “Surely they must be able to sort this out without striking,” she added.

Other travellers said their patience had run out, arguing the strikes had gone on for too long and had become too “extreme”.

Catherine Johnson, a researcher based in Basingstoke who travels on the 8.24am to Waterloo, said she had decided to go freelance to enable her to work from home on the basis of the “appalling” commute.

“It is disgraceful they are allowed to strike and for so long. There is now little sympathy for them as they are punishing us. I pay over £5,000 per year including the tube,” she said.

South Western Railway, which is owned by UK transport operator FirstGroup and Hong Kong-based MTR, said: “Throughout the strike action we’ve been determined to keep passengers moving, and where possible, added in extra services to increase the number of trains running across our network.

“Unfortunately, some trains and stations in peak times have been busier than normal as fewer services have been running and we’re sorry this has made journeys more uncomfortable than usual.”



SWR stated the RMT’s new ballot suggests the union is intent on continuing strike action regardless of the impact on passengers. The spokesperson added: “We have written to all our guards to reiterate our commitment to keeping a guard on every train in a safety-critical role.”

The RMT ballot process will last throughout January and more strikes could follow. Steve Hedley, senior assistant general secretary at the RMT, told the Financial Times

: “Just because this round of strikes is over, we will carry on until we win. We’re not giving up.”