Areas facing rail strikes

Hampshire, Surrey, Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Devon, Somerset, East and West Sussex and Greater London

Striking members of the Rail Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) will work as normal over the weekend but services will be severely disrupted again on Monday and then on Tuesday, when driver union members join their colleagues in the action.

The dispute is primarily over pay and conditions, with the union rejecting a pay offer from SWT and holding out for a deal similar to that recently agreed with the main drivers' union, Aslef.

Vernon Hince, the RMT's acting general secretary, said they had done their best to resolve the dispute.

But, he said, the union could not stand by as its members were treated as second-class citizens.

"Why should they get a worse deal when they work every bit as hard and are equally as loyal as other employees?"

Pessimistic predictions

A spokeswoman for SWT said she was "bitterly disappointed" for passengers that the strikes will go ahead.

The two sides are also in dispute over disciplinary measures being taken against two SWT workers who are RMT representatives.

The company says the allegations they face are related to safety and the pair cannot be treated any differently from other members of staff.

Before Wednesday's talks began - the third round of discussions in four days - both sides told the BBC they saw little scope for a solution.

Limited service routes

Waterloo - Hazlemere Waterloo - Basingstoke Waterloo - Southampton Central Waterloo - Ascot Salisbury - Basingstoke Southampton Central - Portsmouth and Southsea

A company spokesman said the action would bring its 1,700 daily services, carrying about 350,000 passengers, to a virtual standstill.

SWT runs trains across south and south-west England, including busy commuter routes into London Waterloo.

Up to 2,700 staff are expected to join the strikes.

On some lines - including Basingstoke to Waterloo - a limited service is planned, amounting to one train per hour with stops at "several stations" en route.

Productivity gains

The union has rejected a 7.6% pay increase for train crew members over two years, and was holding out for the deal to cover 18 months.

The company has given drivers the same rise, spread over 18 months and linked to productivity gains.

Its offer to crew was not linked to productivity, and would be followed by a further increase in line with inflation in year three, as well as a cut in hours.

SWT said the offer was worth about 15% over three years.

Last summer the company's customers faced disruption from a series of RMT strikes held over disputes including the wearing of red coloured waistcoats.