Train company managers ran hundreds of services themselves today after the latest strike action by their staff.

South West Trains said it would not allow the Rail Maritime and Transport Union to hold its customers to "ransom" as it put in place a special emergency timetable.

Despite the move, thousands of commuters across the South East aced travel chaos as the start of the 48-hour strike led to widespread cancellations and disruption.

South West Trains will not be running any of its 11 daily services between Brighton and Chichester today or tomorrow.

A spokeswoman said: "it was decided to cut the Brighton service because passengers in Sussex have another option."

The company planned to run 600 of its usual 1,700 trains and laid on more than 100 buses and coaches to replace cancelled services.

The extra services were laid on with SWT managers taking on the work of guards and other staff.

Vernon Hince, acting general secretary of the RMT, said some managers being used to replace strikers had never been guards and others had only been in the industry a short while.

The union has asked the Health and Safety Executive to investigate the training of managers.

Meanwhile signalling problems at Woking in Surrey caused delays to SWT services into Waterloo this morning.

Many commuters were believed to have switched to cars despite the extra trains.

The union plans more stoppages for February 12 and 13 in its long-running dispute over pay and disciplinary procedures.