London overground workers have voted to strike over the August bank holiday, threatening disruption for thousands of travellers.
The rail union RMT London overground guards will strike for 48 hours from midnight on Sunday August 25 in protest against plans to scrap train guards.
It says the plans, by Transport for London, to introduce Driver Only Operation on the whole of the London overground network will put millions of passengers at risk.
"Plans to throw the guards off London overground trains on north London routes has already sent shockwaves through transport services and is clearly a foretaste of what is to come," said RMT general secretary Bob Crow.
He said axing guards across London overground will "give the green light to the thugs, thieves and drunks to turn this important and growing rail service into a criminals playground".
"It will also turn London overground services into a no-go area for those with disabilities and others needing assistance as both trains and stations are de-staffed in the name of the TFL cuts drive," added Crow.
"The failure of the TFL senior management, under Boris Johnson’s leadership, and the company to pull back from these proposals has forced RMT to announce this strike action."
Under current rules, London overground trains are not allowed to operate without guards on board, so the two-day strike is expected to lead to cancellations and delays.
