THE taxpayer is forking out tens of millions of pounds to keep greedy train operators’ profits afloat while rail workers strike to defend public safety, Britain’s biggest rail union has revealed.

Research from the RMT union has shown that South Western Railway (SWR) is set to receive at least £32 million in a bailout from the government.

This gift is due to losses incurred amid strike action. It means that the government is keeping the company profitable even if it is not running trains on strike days.