Rail services are being wound down this evening ahead of strikes starting tomorrow – Tuesday – which will close all but a few of the borough's stations.

The strikes are set for Tuesday, June 21, Thursday, June 23 and Saturday, June 25, however train companies are advising people to avoid the system completely this week unless it is 'absolutely necessary'.

The situation will be particularly difficult for Richmond borough and the rest of London as tomorrow – Tuesday - will also see a Tube workers' strike hitting the District and other lines.

The area's two MPs have accused the government and the Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, of failing in their duty to help seek a resolution to the crisis, which is set to bring much of the country to a standstill.

Munira Wilson, the Twickenham MP, said: "NO services will be running from any station in the area on 21,23, 25 June, including Twickenham, Whitton, Teddington, Hampton, St Margarets, Strawberry Hill, Hampton Wick, Fulwell."

A reduced service will operate on the Windsor to Waterloo route, which includes stops at Kew Bridge, Chiswick, Barnes Bridge, and Barnes.

The MP added: "I'm horrified by the disruption this will cause to local residents trying to get to work, sit exams, attend medical appointments, etc.

"The Government and unions must get back round the table urgently to agree a deal and cancel this planned misery for millions."

The Richmond Park MP, Sarah Olney, called for Grant Shapps to be sacked for being 'missing in action'.

She said: "It is beyond belief that the Transport Secretary has not met with the RMT union in over five weeks, and is about to fail in his first duty to keep the country moving.

'His inaction is a sackable offence.'

She added: "These strikes have now become his personal responsibility, and his dereliction of duty is now clear."

Nationally, around one in seven of all workers rely on the train to get to work and around 50% of these plan to work from home, according to research by the Office for National Statistics. (ONS)

Its surveys suggest around one in three will try to use other forms of public transport with one in four opting for a car or bicycle. Some 4per cent of those who normally use the train say they will be unable to work at all.

South Western Railway (SWR) is urging customers only to travel by rail if absolutely necessary this week. 

Managing Director, Claire Mann, said: "The sheer scale of this planned industrial action severely limits the number of trains we can run and routes we can serve, which is reflected in the reduced timetable.

"With this disruption set to be so considerable, I regretfully urge customers to only travel by rail if absolutely necessary between Tuesday 21 and Sunday, June 26.

"I am sorry these strikes will cause such disruption and am grateful to our customers for their patience and understanding as the rail industry works to bring this damaging nationwide action to an end."

The full timetable can be viewed here – https://www.southwesternrailway.com/other/news-and-media/news/2022/june/swr-announces-strike-timetable