Anyone making a New Year resolution to take the train to work each day should think again after news of more rail strikes planned for January.

Commuter chaos is set to descend across south-west London and Surrey early next month as staff on trains running in and out of Waterloo station take industrial action over a pay dispute.

Passengers across the region will have to endure two 48 hour strikes by South West Trains (SWT) workers on January 3 and 4, and January 7 and 9, bringing commuter and regional rail services to a standstill and forcing thousands of commuters out onto the road.

The initial plan was to hold a strike on Christmas Eve but there was not enough time to vote and give the required seven days notice, so rail transport will grind to a halt in the New Year instead.

The strike by members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, was decided after all attempts to reach a compromise with SWT failed.

SWT offered staff a four per cent pay rise but this was rejected, as was a bid to have the matter resolved by an independent arbiter.

It then went to ballot and RMT members voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action.

However Tony Adams, from Kingston Area Travellers Association, showed some sympathy with the striking staff.

Rail workers have had a lousy deal since privatisation, as indeed, have rail users, he said.

More than 100,000 people use SWT services into Waterloo each day and the series of one-day strikes staged earlier this year over working conditions brought chaos to both rail and road users.

A spokesman for South West Trains said: "We are bitterly disappointed for our passengers to see that RMT has announced that it will take strike action.

"There is still time to discuss this dispute over the negotiating table."

The RMT was not available for comment.

By.David Rankin

December 24, 2001 13:00