A STRIKE will continue to disrupt train services in Oxfordshire today.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union have been striking since Saturday in a row over new trains with First Great Western.

The company said only the service from Worcester to Oxford was running this weekend, with services between London and Reading also reduced.

The strike centres on the introduction of new inter-city trains.

The RMT said engineer jobs could be threatened and is opposed to driver-only operation.

It is also disagrees with the proposed removal of buffet facilities.

Talks to avert the three-day strike, which ends tomorrow, took place last week but no agreement could be reached.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “Despite strenuous and continuing efforts by our negotiators we have not been able to secure the kind of progress we hoped for.”

A FGW spokesman accused the RMT of “unfairly” disrupting passenger services and the economy and added: “It has had a series of concessions on the table for over a month.”

The firm had offered guarantees that jobs would be protected and that the new trains would mean “more services, not fewer”, the spokesman added.

It came as the rail operator was accused of neglecting to give customers the cheapest deal possible at station ticket offices.