CALLS have been made for rail passengers to be compensated, as the RMT union voted to stage three further 24-hour strikes on Friday, February 22, Saturday, March 9, and Saturday, March 16, in its long-running dispute to get a guarantee a guard will be present on every train.

Announcing the latest walk-outs, RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “It is a disgrace that South Western Railway has yet again opted to play for time over the past six months rather than acting responsibly and getting round the table with the union to work out a solution to this dispute that puts safety and the guard guarantee centre stage.”

A South Western Railway (SWR) spokesperson said: “We are obviously very disappointed for our customers that the RMT union plans to continue this needless industrial action. We have repeatedly committed to rostering a guard on all our services – the same assurance that seems to have been sufficient for the RMT to suspend its strikes elsewhere in the country earlier this week. No jobs are at risk and our plans over the course of the franchise mean we will need more guards, not fewer.”

Rail services will be impacted from midnight until 11.59pm on all three dates.

Jeremy Varns, campaign coordinator for South Western Railway Watch, said: “I have this week written to the Rail Minister, Andrew Jones, to ask what action the government is taking in finding a resolution to this dispute. The lack of leadership by both the Rail Minister and Transport Secretary is both frustrating and disappointing.

“While I have not changed my view that the strike action on South Western Railway is unjustified, I understand that a number of passengers including many who support our campaign feel differently. “The company has repeatedly said that more guards will be needed during the course of its seven-year franchise as additional services are introduced and a second crew member will continue to be rostered on every train.

“I have also requested from the minister that a compensation package be introduced for rail passengers impacted by future strike action on SWR. Additionally, clarity has been sought on whether a decision has been made by the government to compensate the company for a loss of revenue as a result of this dispute.

“Either way, it is not fair or reasonable to expect passengers to continue to pay full price for a reduced service. Such a measure is especially important given the apparent lack of meaningful progress made during talks.”