South Western Railway is urging people to only travel if absolutely necessary during train drivers’ strike action next Tuesday (30 January).

The operator is also advising passengers to avoid relying on the first or last scheduled trains, as these are likely to not run.

During Tuesday’s strike, SWR will run a severely reduced service on a limited number of lines. Trains will only run between:

• London Waterloo and Basingstoke
• London Waterloo and Feltham via Twickenham
• London Waterloo and Guildford
• London Waterloo and Woking
• Basingstoke and Salisbury

No trains will run on the rest of the SWR network, including the isle of Wight’s Island Line. Where trains do run, they will only do so between 0700 and 1900, with no trains outside these times.

Train drivers’ union ASLEF continues to press its case for an inflation-proof pay rise, and as well as striking on Tuesday, its members will refuse to work overtime on Monday 29, and from Wednesday 31 January to Tuesday 6 February.

During the overtime bans, SWR is likely to cancel or alter services at short notice, and the Island Line will run a reduced timetable of just one train per hour.

The operator has updated its journey planners through to Thursday 1 February, and has promised to update them for subsequent dates in the coming days. More information is available here.

Stuart Meek, South Western Railway’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “We’re very sorry to announce that industrial action, including full strike action, will affect our network at the end of January and into early February.

“It has been a tough start to the year due to adverse weather conditions and these damaging strikes will cause yet more disruption for our customers.

“Our advice is to only travel if absolutely necessary on Tuesday 30 January and to check before travelling on all other affected dates. It is also vital that customers check their entire journey on all the affected dates, as other operators will be affected.

“Once again we’re very sorry for the disruption this will cause and we thank our customers for their continued patience.”

ASLEF’s general secretary Mick Whelan said, “We have given the government every opportunity to come to the table but it has now been a year since we had any contact from the Department for Transport. It’s clear they do not want to resolve this dispute.

“Many of our members have now not had a single penny increase to their pay in half a decade, during which inflation soared and with it the cost of living. Train drivers didn’t even ask for an increase during the Covid-19 pandemic when they worked throughout as keyworkers, risking their lives to allow NHS and other workers to travel.

“The government has now tried their old trick of changing the rules when they can’t win and brought in Minimum Service Levels legislation. But this new law, as we told officials during the consultation period, won’t ease industrial strife. It will likely just make it worse.

“There’s no excuse. The government and train operating companies must come to the table with a realistic offer so we can end this dispute and work together to ensure the future of our railways.”