Passengers in South East Cornwall face further disruption today as the rail strike continues with delays also likely over the weekend.

Industrial action, which began on Wednesday afternoon, has affected all services operated by First Great Western. No branch line services have been running between Liskeard and Looe or between Plymouth and Gunnislake, and the main line service between Plymouth and Penzance has been reduced to one train every two hours.

The Rail and Maritime Transport (RMT) union strike over jobs, safety and services will carry on until 6.30pm today, but passengers are likely to experience delays and crowded trains into the weekend, as union members have been instructed not to work any overtime until midnight tomorrow (Saturday).

General secretary of the RMT Mick Cash said members were 'solidly supporting' the 48-hour strike, following the breakdown of last-minute talks between the union and First Great Western on Wednesday.

Anger

RMT members are angry about the company's plans to remove the buffet car and to introduce driver-operated doors on a new fleet of high-speed trains. The new Intercity high-speed trains are set to come into service in 2017 but will not be used in Cornwall.

A union spokesperson said that FGW had 'played for time' during talks rather than tackling the issues.

'The anger of staff is clear,' said Mr Cash. 'It is now down to the company to get back round the table to address the serious issues at the core of this dispute.'

First Great Western yesterday took out full page newspaper advertisements to apologise to passengers.

FGW managing director Mark Hopwood said: 'Earlier this week we proposed additional commitments to address the concerns of the RMT and our colleagues, while still allowing us to deliver the improved service customers expect.

'Unfortunately the RMT did not endorse these proposals, so it is likely that strike action will affect our services until early Saturday.'

The operator said it would 'make arrangements to compensate Season Ticket holders for the days affected'.