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| Northern, Southern rail and Merseyrail staff on strike | Northern, Southern rail and Merseyrail staff on strike |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Rail staff from three firms across England have started 24-hour strikes in a dispute over the role of guards. | Rail staff from three firms across England have started 24-hour strikes in a dispute over the role of guards. |
| The RMT's 30th strike day in its dispute with Southern over plans to make trains driver-only-operated (DOO) has spread to the north of England. | The RMT's 30th strike day in its dispute with Southern over plans to make trains driver-only-operated (DOO) has spread to the north of England. |
| Guards and drivers working for Merseyrail and Northern are taking action over similar DOO proposals. | Guards and drivers working for Merseyrail and Northern are taking action over similar DOO proposals. |
| Management at all three companies say they want a negotiated solution and deny jobs will be lost. | Management at all three companies say they want a negotiated solution and deny jobs will be lost. |
| Live updates: The latest from Northern, Southern and Merseyrail | Live updates: The latest from Northern, Southern and Merseyrail |
| Bosses at Merseyrail made a late attempt to derail the action on Thursday, seeking an injunction against the dispute, which was rejected by the High Court in London. | Bosses at Merseyrail made a late attempt to derail the action on Thursday, seeking an injunction against the dispute, which was rejected by the High Court in London. |
| Disruption on Monday | Disruption on Monday |
| Up to 2,000 rail staff have walked out over the disputes. | |
| Merseyrail members have refused to work "rest days" since 6 March. | |
| RMT general secretary Mick Cash said the union's position on DOO was "perfectly clear" and added it would "not agree to any introduction of DOO". | RMT general secretary Mick Cash said the union's position on DOO was "perfectly clear" and added it would "not agree to any introduction of DOO". |
| He added there was "rock solid" support for the walkouts, including the Southern network action which "continues to hold firm in the fight for rail safety nearly a year on". | |
| Merseyrail's deputy managing director Andy Heath has apologised to passengers for a "much reduced" service on the planned timetable during the strike as "many drivers had chosen not to cross picket lines". | |
| He said secondary action by ASLEF drivers meant it was running fewer trains than it originally advertised. | |
| Arriva Rail North, which operates Northern trains, provides services across the north of England. | Arriva Rail North, which operates Northern trains, provides services across the north of England. |
| Northern proposes to modernise its network by 2020 with the introduction of 281 new carriages, 243 upgraded trains, 2,000 extra services each week and better stations across the network. | Northern proposes to modernise its network by 2020 with the introduction of 281 new carriages, 243 upgraded trains, 2,000 extra services each week and better stations across the network. |
| It has promised to protect jobs and pay and said it was "disappointed" by the strike. | It has promised to protect jobs and pay and said it was "disappointed" by the strike. |
| Analysis: Richard Westcott, BBC transport correspondent | Analysis: Richard Westcott, BBC transport correspondent |
| It's the South and the North today, but could this dispute keep spreading across England? | It's the South and the North today, but could this dispute keep spreading across England? |
| The government's made it clear that it wants an expansion of "driver-only-operated" trains and that puts it at loggerheads with the unions. | The government's made it clear that it wants an expansion of "driver-only-operated" trains and that puts it at loggerheads with the unions. |
| The Department for Transport talks about introducing them in the next two franchises about to be awarded, South Western and West Midlands. | The Department for Transport talks about introducing them in the next two franchises about to be awarded, South Western and West Midlands. |
| The unions say it's a long-term ploy to get rid of all train guards and save money - they claim it puts passenger safety at risk. | The unions say it's a long-term ploy to get rid of all train guards and save money - they claim it puts passenger safety at risk. |
| But rail bosses argue it's about modernising the service, freeing up the second on-board person to deal with passengers rather than closing the train doors. | But rail bosses argue it's about modernising the service, freeing up the second on-board person to deal with passengers rather than closing the train doors. |
| Handing all the safety jobs to the driver means you don't HAVE to have two people on every train before it can leave the station. That would shrink the power of the RMT, because more trains would be able to run if their guards went on strike in the future. | Handing all the safety jobs to the driver means you don't HAVE to have two people on every train before it can leave the station. That would shrink the power of the RMT, because more trains would be able to run if their guards went on strike in the future. |
| Merseyrail plans to introduce a new fleet of 52 (DOO) trains from 2020 and said none of the permanent guards or guard managers would lose their jobs. | Merseyrail plans to introduce a new fleet of 52 (DOO) trains from 2020 and said none of the permanent guards or guard managers would lose their jobs. |
| The company said it "pledged to do everything we can to bring the dispute to a satisfactory and swift conclusion". | The company said it "pledged to do everything we can to bring the dispute to a satisfactory and swift conclusion". |
| 'Strike misery' | |
| Southern has said the union is "hell-bent on further strike misery". | Southern has said the union is "hell-bent on further strike misery". |
| Its parent company Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) said the union chosen to put its members "through even more pointless industrial action." | Its parent company Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) said the union chosen to put its members "through even more pointless industrial action." |
| Paul Plummer, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operating companies said the industrial action was "completely unnecessary and will be very painful". | |
| "Rail companies are willing to guarantee pay and jobs; new trains which customers desperately want enabling better services, no threat to safety and this is a very early stage of discussion." | |
| The Department for Transport said the strikes were "disappointing" and "unnecessary" and it is urging the RMT union to return to talks with operators. | |
| All three strikes are due to end at midnight. | All three strikes are due to end at midnight. |
| Have you been affected by the travel disruption? Share your pictures and experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | Have you been affected by the travel disruption? Share your pictures and experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or use the form below | Or use the form below |