TRAIN passengers in Worcestershire will face chaos when hundreds of rail guards stage a 48-hour strike later this month.

As reported in your Worcester News yesterday, staff at First Great Western, which runs services to London, voted in favour of strike action following a breakdown in industrial relations.

The date for that strike has now been set for Sunday, January 20, hitting services over at least two days.

The announcement by the Rail Maritime and Transport union followed an overwhelming vote in favour of action by workers amid claims that managers are being used to drive and guard trains.

"RMT members have today made quite clear what they think of First Great Western's confrontational style of management," said the union's general secretary, Bob Crow.

The union also announced that it will ballot 1,500 station staff and other workers at FGW to see if they also want to take industrial action.

The train operator carries more than 60,000 passengers a day on local and long-distance services into London's Paddington station.

Service levels on FGW have been the subject of bitter criticism of late, with watchdog body London TravelWatch calling for First to be stripped of its franchise.

An FGW passenger group is due to meet next week to discuss a possible boycott of services.

RMT drivers at FGW voted to go on strike but will not be taking part in the walkout, said the union.

The RMT said it has around 500 guards and 100 driver members at the company.