Dorset rail passengers will be hammered by NINE days of disruption in the coming weeks due to a combination of strikes and engineering works.

More 24 hour strikes have been called by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union in the long-running dispute over the role of guards on trains.

Three train operators are affected – but Weymouth-Waterloo operator South Western Railway will suffer the most strikes – five days in all.

These are planned for May 9, 11, 14, 16 and 18.

It is not known whether trains will be running from Weymouth – on previous strike days there has been no service between Weymouth and Poole with buses laid on instead.

On top of this, engineering work is planned over the weekends of May 12-13 and May 19-20 with no trains between Weymouth and Wareham and replacement bus services operating. This will also affect Great Western Railway services between Weymouth and Dorchester West.

One reason for these works is because engineers have to repair a fault near Bincombe Tunnel – a speed restriction has been in place over the last few weeks.

Although the work has been scheduled for a while, before the strikes were announced, it will still come as a blow to travellers.

South Dorset MP Richard Drax said: "I am surprised that the strike action is taking place when I understand the company has given repeated assurances that a second person will be retained on the train and there will be more jobs, not less.

"If that is the case then the strike is totally unnecessary and it's going to cause misery to many passengers."

Leader of Weymouth and Portland Borough Council Cllr Jeff Cant said: "This is likely to be very disruptive and could be potentially very serious for those who depend on the trains to get to work."

The announcement of further strike action was made at a protest in Westminster yesterday to mark the second anniversary of the dispute, which started on Southern Railway.

No fresh walkouts were announced on Southern or on Merseyrail, where talks are being held to try to break the deadlocked row.

Hundreds of RMT members, disability campaigners and passengers joined the Westminster demonstration, which was followed by a lobby of MPs.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "Yet again the intransigence of private rail companies operating in England over the key issue of the guard guarantee means that we have no option but to announce further strike action in the separate disputes.

"With RMT members protesting outside Parliament we are drawing attention to the ludicrous situation that means we are able to reach agreements in Wales and Scotland on the guard guarantee but not on a raft of key franchises in England."

A South Western Railway spokesman said: “We will do everything we can to minimise the effect of these RMT strikes on our customers.

“Our priority remains to get on with the job of delivering a better railway, working with our industry partners to deliver new trains, more capacity and better performance."

The spokesman added: “We have given repeated assurances that we plan to retain a second person on our trains, that there will be more jobs, not less and have guaranteed people’s terms and conditions. This strike is unnecessary and was supported by less than half of our guards.”

A Network Rail spokesman said of the engineering works: "Safety is our number priority, which is why we have placed a speed restriction of 30mph on a one mile stretch of track between Dorchester South and Bincombe Tunnel after identifying a track fault.

"The track will be fixed next month, with the speed limit lifted, to coincide with a full renewal of the infrastructure in the area."