THREE days of strike action on South Western Railway have been suspended. 

The strikes had been due to take place between Thursday, June 21 and Saturday, June 23.

Mick Cash, RMT General Secretary, said: “RMT welcomes the fact that following joint talks with South Western Railway, under the auspices of conciliation service ACAS, and subsequent correspondence, adequate progress has been made regarding the dispute over the role of the Guard and the extension of Driver Only Operation.

“We hope that the talks can continue in a constructive manner and an agreement can be reached."

Before it was announced the strike had been suspended, South Western Railway (SWR) said it would be using a team of “contingency guards” to keep people moving and expected to run over 70 per cent of normal Monday to Friday services.

The majority of routes would have seen amended service, with buses replacing trains on some routes.