Southern strike: Dozens of rail replacement buses offered
- Published
Dozens of bus operators have offered to send vehicles for rail replacement services
Dozens of bus and coach companies across England have offered vehicles for rail replacement services during the next Southern train drivers' strike.
Aslef and RMT members are due to walk out for six days from 9 January.
The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) said bus operators from Cornwall to Northumberland were ready to send vehicles to the South East.
Southern said it was still deciding what services might be offered.
A CPT spokeswoman said: "We have had a very good response from quite a few members."
It has sent Southern's parent company, the Go-Ahead Group, a list of operators including family-run firms which are ready to provide buses.
Southern said it planned to announce on Wednesday what rail replacement services might be offered "to some commuters" but warned there would be no trains at all, external during the strike.
Three weeks ago the government said officials were liaising with CPT "to determine how bus and coach operators can best assist with providing alternative transport".
BBC South East understands the Army was asked before Christmas to prepare contingency plans for soldiers to drive buses.
Southern said none of its trains would operate during the drivers' strike
"Informal" talks between Southern and Aslef ended at ACAS today without agreement.
A commuter group in east Surrey has written to the prime minister to "find out what is wrong and create a solution" to the long-running dispute about drivers, rather than conductors, operating carriage doors.
It said passengers were "suffering daily, fainting or crying on trains, having health problems, receiving extreme mental anxiety and finding their financial position at high risk".
The government said it would respond to the group shortly.
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