RAIL workers on South Western Railway (SWR) are to start a 27-day strike to maintain the role of the guard on train services on Monday.

RMT members on the line are striking to keep a guard on every train service.

Talks aimed at reaching an agreement at conciliation service Acas ended in acrimony on Thursday.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said union members were “angry and frustrated” after a set of union proposals to secure the guard’s role was “kicked back in our faces” by SWR management.

He added: “There is no rational explanation for [the company’s] position and we can only assume that either they or their paymasters in government want this strike action to go ahead for politically motivated purposes.

“The union also believes that cutting the guard out of the dispatch process reduces the second person on the train to little more than a passenger in the longer term, which would give the company the option of axing them all together at some point down the line.

“Our action goes ahead from Monday in defence of passenger safety and accessibility, and the blame for that lies wholly with SWR and their wrecking strategy.”

The union has said that it remains available for meaningful negotiations with SWR to avoid disruption.

An SWR spokesman said: “This strike is the last thing any of us wanted. We will do everything possible to get you where you need to go, but ask that you leave more time for your journey and check before you travel for the latest information.”