PASSENGERS have called for a "disaster plan" to put an end to train delays after half the West Coastway services were cancelled.

Almost all direct trains between Brighton and Southampton were called off yesterday except a few evening peak trains.

Southern Railway blamed an "unusually high level of sickness" of twice the normal rate among conductors for the disruption, while others had rest days.

Passengers were warned to expect problems for the rest of the week but refused to say how many staff were off work.

It has been reported that some conductors were off sick due to stress but union leaders said they could not confirm the nature of the absences. 

Unions dismissed claims of high sickness levels as "entirely fabricated" and intended to publicly vilify conductors.

The crisis came as emergency engineering works caused delays in other parts of the network, and followed last RMT strike when more than 300 conductors walked out affecting 620,000 train journeys.

Another strike planned for next week has since been postponed and reduced.

Michael Robinson, of Brighton, was half an hour late for work in Durrington and resorted to sharing a taxi with other passengers to save time.

The 31-year-old said: "You can't help staff sickness but Southern Railway needs a disaster plan and not just let the West Coastway services suffer."

Johnny Kenneally, who works in Croydon, was stuck at Lancing for 40 minutes yesterday morning. He said it was an "awful service" making customers "angry and upset".

Trevor Tupper, of the West Sussex Rail Users Association, said it was a "real pain" for passengers but alternative routes were available with only minor delays.

Shelley Atlas, chairman of the Brighton Line Commuters, said the problem was having a knock on effect to other services, but it was an unusual situation.

Govia Thameslink Railway's chief operating officer Dyan Crowther said she was "extremely disappointed and frustrated" the company was unable to run the full service.

She said: "We’ve done our best for passengers by making these changes to a route where there are alternative services but we know it is going to be difficult."

Paul Cox, of the RMT, said the union was encouraging conductors to work on their rest days to ease the problem, and the company released five conductors from their duties on the routes yesterday who were due to work.

A Southern Railway spokesman said: "Any conductors we did have are being redeployed on to other services. No-one has been sent home and no-one is sitting around not working."

Passengers should check routes before they travel and can claim compensation for delays at southernrailway.com/delayrepay.

Background

THE delays come after a row between union and company bosses over plans to change the roles of guards.

When union members voted to strike last week train bosses warned they could not guarantee to get passengers to their destination. The union warned the stalemate with Southern operator Govia Thameslink Railways over plans to introduce more conductor-less trains meant there was "every indication there would be more action".

Some of the services delayed yesterday between Brighton and Southampton are those which could take on the proposals.

Strikes postponed

TRAIN union strikes planned for next week have been postponed.

The RMT action due to take place between May 10 and 13 has now been reduced to one day on May 20 between 0001 and 2359. 

A Southern Railway spokesman said: "We are naturally pleased that next week’s strike has been postponed, but remain concerned the threat of further strike action hangs over our passengers. While it would be good to think the RMT has changed its position, we believe they have taken this action after members rebelled at the prospect of losing a significant sum in pay and benefits due to the union calling three strike days in the same pay period.

"This strike is totally unnecessary. All we are doing is making our staff more accessible and more able to give better customer service to passengers on board our trains, by removing the need for them to close the doors. This is how 40 per cent of Southern services operate already. No one will be made compulsorily redundant and no one will lose salary.

"We hope this additional time will offer the RMT the opportunity to pause and reflect on the impact their action is having on people and engage in meaningful discussions with us."

Union general secretary Mick Cash said: "We have reassessed the tactics of the dispute and, recognising the hostile and aggressive stance taken by the company as we fight for the basic principles of rail safety, RMT’s executive has decided to switch the next phase of action.

"Southern GTR should be under no illusions, the union will not bend to their bullying and threats and we will be out there building on the huge public support we have already mobilised in a campaign that pitches the demands for increasing private profits against safety on our railways."