Southern Rail services halted for three days by strike

The Southern strike hasn't just been affecting commuters heading to work. Children who rely on trains to get to school have been suffering too.

The latest strike by ASLEF staff has begun. Southern bosses are urging passengers not to travel unless absolutely necessary.

Another strike on Southern Rail started at midnight causing major disruption. Our Transport Correspondent Mike Pearse is at Brighton Station and sent this update.

The most disruptive rail strike in decades will go ahead on Southern Rail next week. It will shut down the whole network - and cause major disruption on other days, too.

The Transport Secretary Chris Grayling did appeal to the rail unions - Aslef and the RMT - to cancel the walkout but his appeal was ignored.

The dispute centres on a decision to change the role of the guards. The company have now imposed a driver only operation - where drivers close train doors but the unions say it's safer for a guard to close the doors - and it's harder for drivers to monitor who's getting on and off.

Long term, they fear jobs - and safety - could be at risk.

So far all talks have failed but for first time both sides have agreed to be interviewed together. Paul Cox, South East Organiser for the RMT and Angie Doll, Southern Rail's Director of Passenger ServicesTransport spoke to our Correspondent Mike Pearse.

Strikes by Southern Railway train drivers are set to go ahead next week, causing a fresh wave of travel chaos for hundreds of thousands of passengers across the south.

Aslef confirmed there will be three 24-hour walkouts in the bitter dispute over driver-only trains, despite being urged by Transport Secretary Chris Grayling to call off the action.

The minister cited a report by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) which he maintained confirmed that Southern Railway's plans for driver-controlled trains were safe.

Aslef and the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union strongly disputed the report.

Mr Grayling told ITV Meridian it is up to Aslef to call off the strike, as he believes there are no grounds for it to go ahead: