Rail services halted across Britain by guards' walkout

Britain's rail network was hit by some of the most disruptive industrial action since privatisation yesterday when train guards walked out in a dispute over their safety role.

Up to 90 per cent of services were cancelled on some routes, although the nine train companies affected said they were able to run more of the timetable than expected.

Yesterday's 24-hour strike will be followed by another day-long stoppage on Monday, a walkout on 17 April and more industrial action unless the RMT rail union and management reach agreement.

The union said its members – who are protesting over regulations that they believe reduce their status to that of "Kit Kat sellers'' – supported the strike solidly. In some cases, however, managers stood in for strikers and the Association of Train Operating Companies (Atoc) claimed that a "small number'' of RMT train crew turned up for work.

Virgin Cross Country, which operates throughout Britain, was one of the worst hit with 80 per cent of services cancelled, while its sister company Virgin West Coast cut 50 per cent. Up to 90 per cent of timetables at Central Trains was scrapped and 50 per cent at ScotRail and Arriva Trains Merseyside.

Among commuter companies in the South-east, Silverlink and South Central cut 25 per cent of their trains, Connex South Eastern 30 per cent and Thames Trains just 5 per cent.

Bob Crow, the general secretary of the RMT, claimed companies harboured a "hidden agenda'', which was to get rid of guards altogether to boost profits.

He said the "more progressive'' operators such as Great North Eastern Railways, First Great Western and First Great Eastern had signed an agreement with the union over responsibilities of guards during accidents. "We are not asking the other train operating companies to do anything different.'' The RMT leader said more responsibilities had been placed on the shoulders of train drivers over recent years, increasing the pressure on them and leading to accidents and trains going through red lights.

''We believe in taking as much pressure off the train driver as possible and allowing him or her to concentrate on driving the train and the guards can look after the passengers.'' He said that if a driver was taken ill or injured in a collision it was the guard who had the responsibility for placing safety devices on the track to stop other trains colliding with it.

Steve Bence, operations director at Atoc, rejected Mr Crow's contention that operators wanted to get rid of guards. "There is absolutely no underlying agenda to do away with guards. Bob Crow is simply not telling the truth.''

He said the network's rulebook had been changed in 1999 so that the driver was responsible for dealing with the signaller in the event of an accident, while the guard's duty was to look after passengers.