A WAVE of strikes will cripple a key rail network over the bank holiday weekend after bosses failed to calm fears that jobs will be lost when new trains are introduced.

Rail union RMT’s walkout will see First Great Western scale down its timetable and slash catering provision from today (Saturday) until Monday.

Shiny new Intercity Express Programme units are set to replace Intercity 125 trains on the network, which runs services from London Paddington to the Thames Valley, south Wales and south-west England, in 2017.

But the trains will be geared to driver-only operation, leading to fears that guards will be cut. The new trains are being built without buffet cars, leading to the loss of catering staff and fewer options for passengers, and their maintenance will be hived off to external staff at Japanese manufacturer Hitachi.

Virgin Trains East Coast, which is also introducing the new rolling stock, has pledged that guards will still “maintain responsibility for the safety of customers and staff” on the new trains, an assurance RMT says First Group has refused to match.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “The fact remains that if it is good enough for East Coast, using the same trains, to meet the very basic assurances sought by this trade union then it is good enough for First Great Western as well.”

Workers across the company walked out at midnight last night and will not return to work until Tuesday apart from fleet maintenance workers, who will only strike today and on Monday.

The action follows walk-outs last weekend and in July which the RMT described as “rock solid.” Mr Cash said the union had “no option but to push ahead” after failing to reach a settlement.

“RMT remains available for talks,” he said.

But a spokesman for First Great Western claimed: “The RMT says this is about protecting jobs, services and safety.

“But in truth they’ve had a series of concessions on the table for over a month that won’t see a single member of train staff lose their jobs, means more services not less, and is based on a method of operating trains that has worked safely across the UK rail network for decades.”

Ken Loach adds his support

I travel frequently on First Great Western trains and I am very concerned about the company’s plans for the new trains.

Drivers will be responsible for passenger door controls, not the guards or platform staff. The fear is that job cuts will follow.

I trust the people who do the job. They say that safety is threatened.

Who would be stupid enough to take no notice? Only the management of a private rail operator who put profit before safety.

Buffet services for all but first-class passengers are also to be cut. Why?

This should be unacceptable to passengers. Train companies receive massive subsidies and yet they take decisions that will threaten our safety and make travelling less convenient.

Travellers know that a privatised, fragmented rail system doesn’t work. We should do the sensible thing and bring the railways back into public ownership.

The FGW management is to blame for this inconvenience. I support the action taken by drivers, guards and all railway workers to protect our safety.