Article by Eli Haidari

Railway workers will hold strikes next week over continuing disputes regarding pay and job security, which is set to directly affect Kingston commuters.

The railway network will be "shut down" on 21,23 and 25 June, the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) says.

RMT has stated members working for train companies including South Western Railway (SWR) have been subject to "pay freezes, threats to jobs and attacks on their terms and conditions".

Network Rail plans to cut 2,500 maintenance jobs as it tries to make £2bn of savings over the next two years.

It is estimated around more than 2,100 SWR RMT members will be taking part in industrial action.

A late-starting Sunday level of service will be operating across the SWR network on the three scheduled days of strikes and commuters have also been warned to avoid commuting by train on the 22,24 and 26 June due to knock-on disruption expected to be caused.

SWR's reduced timetable will run from 07:15 to 18:30 on the three strike days, and will consist of:

• Four trains per hour in each direction between Waterloo and Windsor via Hounslow
• Two semi-fast trains per hour in each direction between Waterloo and Basingstoke
• Four trains per hour in each direction between Waterloo and Woking
• Two fast trains per hour in each direction between Waterloo and Southampton

Trains will not be stopping at all stations on these routes including Kingston.

The full timetable can be viewed here.