Yet another round of strike action involving Southern Rail has been announced in the seemingly endless industrial dispute over driver-only trains.

Train guards from the Rail, Marine and Transport (RMT) union have announced they will walk out for 24 hours on August 1.

This is on top of the rail driver’s union Aslef already voting to strike on August 1, 2 and 4.

This too is on top of an ongoing refusal to work overtime amongst Aslef drivers that has seen a quarter of its rail services cut, specifically around peak service hours.

These are all part of an ongoing dispute, now well into its second year, over Southern trying to bring in driver-only trains that staff claim are unsafe.

This would be at least the 34rd day of strike action by the RMT since the dispute began, although by this stage we are really starting to lose count.

This cripples Southern trains yet again and heaps misery on the 300,000 passengers the rail company supposedly services.

Meanwhile Southern Rail have also been ordered to pay a £13.4 million package by Transport Secretary Chris Grayling who said the industrial action doesn’t fully explain the operator’s poor performance.

Southern Rail did, however, have a 16-year-old work experience boy called Eddie who become a viral hit on twitter.

Mick Cash, RMT general secretary, said: “The Government are up to their eyeballs in the Southern Rail scandal and have given the company a free run at smashing up the safety and access regime out of pure ideology.

“RMT pays tribute to our Southern Rail guards and drivers who have stood firm for well over a year in the fight for rail safety despite outrageous abuse and intimidation from the company. They are a credit to their communities and to the whole trade union movement.

“RMT has a clear plan for resolving this dispute but that requires talks and it requires talks now. This fiasco cannot be allowed to drag on any longer.”

At a meeting in Westminster, Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said the dispute "could go on for an awful long time, unfortunately", while Mr Cash said if the Transport Secretary was not prepared to join talks, the long-running row would continue.

Both unions believe Mr Grayling and the Department for Transport (DfT) are behind the move to driver-only trains, dispensing with guards on Southern.