RAIL workers are to stage a fresh strike tomorrow in the bitter dispute over the role of guards.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union on South Western Railway (SWR) will stage the third of a series of walkouts tomorrow (Tuesday).

SWR anticipates running around two-thirds of its usual services.

Amended timetables and alternative travel arrangements, including bus replacement services and ticket acceptance from other networks, will be in place with passengers advised to check before they travel.

A South Western Railway spokesperson said: "We thank customers for their ongoing patience as the RMT continues with its frustrating industrial action. Despite this action, thanks to the hard work and commitment of those employees who are keeping our service moving, we expect to deliver around two thirds of our services during tomorrow’s strikes.

“We continue to call on the RMT to consider passengers and return to talks, especially seeing as they have already agreed to proposals similar to ours with another train operator, Greater Anglia.

“We are sorry for the ongoing disruption they are inflicting on passengers and will do everything we can to make journeys as smooth as possible during tomorrow’s strike.”

Workers completed the first two of an eight day series of strikes planned across the summer last week.

Further stoppages are planned for the next three Saturdays ahead of a 48-hour strike starting on Saturday August 31.

Meanwhile, the RMT said it has tabled a motion at the TUC Congress in Manchester in September calling for Transport Secretary Chris Grayling to resign.

The motion says: "Congress believes the collapse of Carillion, a major rail contractor; the failure of Virgin/Stagecoach on the East Coast Line; the rail timetable chaos (which also led to increased threat of assaults against rail workers); the cancellation of rail electrification projects; and loss of skilled rail jobs has shown again that the privatisation and fragmentation of our railways and public services has been an abject failure.

"Even though these rail policy disasters have taken place under Chris Grayling he has refused to take any responsibility and Congress supports the growing calls for Chris Grayling to resign."

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "In any normal political circumstances Chris Grayling would have been long gone but in these days of crisis government he is clinging to the wreckage of our transport services like a rat clinging to the deck of a sinking ship. It's a shocking state of affairs."

Full details of services, including alternative travel arrangements, can be found at southwesternrailway.com/plan-my-journey/rmt-industrial-action.