The company that runs Southern trains is to lodge legal action at the High Court today in an effort block next week’s drivers’ strike.

Aslef union members, the train drivers' union, are set to commence industrial action next Tuesday in a dispute over the introduction of driver-only trains.

But Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) will argue the drivers’ strikes which, unlike the RMT conductors’ strikes, would mean no services whatsoever will run.

Govia, Southern's parent company, say this will breach passengers' rights.

The RMT union’s strike entered its second day today.

Southern has warned passengers to expect widespread disruption as an Aslef ban on drivers taking overtime came into force on Tuesday.

Combined with the conductors’ strike, the ban led to roughly half of all Southern services being cancelled yesterday.

A spokeswoman for GTR said: "If passengers can make alternative travel arrangements they should, and if they don’t have to travel they shouldn’t.

“If the drivers’ strikes go ahead, there will be no services on Southern and customers should not attempt to travel.

““We’re doing everything we can to stop the drivers’ strike and that’s why we are seeking an injunction in the High Court [today].

“This industrial action is a clearly co-ordinated and cynical manoeuvre by the unions to bring yet further travel misery to passengers as well as having a detrimental impact on the regional economy when it least needs it.

"If the unions are listening to passengers then they will call off all industrial action now and give hardworking commuters and their families their lives."

Mick Whelan, general secretary of ASLEF, said the proposed driver-only operation is "inherently" unsafe.

He said: "It’s been our policy for more than 15 years to try to eradicate driver only operation (DOO) because DOO is inherently unsafe.

"DOO was designed for three-car 317s on the Bedford to St Pancras line in the early 1980s when it was all about managed decline at the fag end of British Rail.

"An increase in the number of passengers we are carrying every day means there are now 1,100 passengers on a 12 car train and a driver will have just two seconds to check 24 sets of doors and that’s simply not adequate to deal safely and properly with the travelling public.

"Protecting passengers, and our members, in the 21st century is being applauded by many of the travelling public who can see through the political machinations and misinformation of the government and the DfT."

Judge Sir Michael Burton will make a decision on the legality of the industrial action at 2pm tomorrow.