Southern trains will not run through two busy Kent stations today or tomorrow as staff strike over safety fears.

All Southern services on the lines between Tonbridge and Redhill, and Ashford International and Eastbourne via Hastings, will be cancelled.

Members of rail union RMT are striking over the feared removal of conductors from Southern trains, which they believe is dangerous.

Mick Cash, RMT general secretary, said: “Let us be crystal clear – this dispute is about safety and the safety-critical role of the guards on Southern trains.

"The company, with an eye on ever-fatter profits, is prepared to axe the guards on some of the most overcrowded and potentially-dangerous services in Britain so that they can squeeze every last penny out of their passengers regardless of the consequences.

"That is a lethal gamble with safety in the name of profit," Mick Cash, RMT

"That is a lethal gamble with safety in the name of profit and that is why we have been forced to take strike action.

"The consequences of removing guards, the human eyes and ears on that dangerous interface between crowded platforms and crowded trains, is blindingly obvious."

But Southern has denied that it is planning to reduce the number of conductors on its trains.

A spokesman said: "We are disappointed it has come to this, especially as we have been at pains to assure all our conductors there will be no job losses or reduction in salary as a result of the improvements we want to make on board our trains.

"This strike action is completely unnecessary and damaging."

"This strike action is completely unnecessary and damaging," Southern

The spokesman added that Southern wants to "evolve the conductor role into one of an on-board supervisor" on its more modern trains.

They say the supervisor will be able to spend more time with passengers because they will not be required to operate the doors as they do on older trains.

Other Southern services outside the county, including in Sussex and London, will also be affected with many trains cancelled and a limited service running on a number of routes.

A spokesman for Southeastern has confirmed its services will be running as normal.

See Southern's website for a full list of affected services.