Almost 400 Southern Rail conductors could go on strike, potentially over the Christmas period, as a union branded staffing levels a disgrace.

The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) workers claim a range of issues have led to the breakdown in industrial relations.

The union also said RMT members had been run ragged by chronic staffing shortages.

However a spokesman for Southern Rail refuted there had been a breakdown in industrial relations and said it was making every effort to resolve the issue with the RMT to avoid any unnecessary disruption.

Southern Rail operates services through Epsom, Epsom Downs, Tattenham Corner, Tadworth, Leatherhead, Ashtead and Banstead, as well as others across Surrey, London, Sussex, Kent and Hampshire.

RMT general secretary, Mick Cash, said: "The staffing shortages on Southern are a disgrace.

"This is a vital and lucrative franchise where commuters pay thousands of pounds a year to travel on services that are chronically under-staffed and RMT members have had enough of it.

"We have no option now but to ballot for action in the run up to Christmas.

"This union will not sit back while staffing levels are pared to the bone and our members run ragged solely in the interests of private company profits.

"We will be explaining to the travelling public, who are also the victims of this corner-cutting policy, why we are being forced down this road and we will be asking them to assist us in putting pressure on the company."

The ballot closes on Tuesday, December 15, and RMT have to give seven days’ notice before industrial action is taken.

A Southern spokesman said: "We refute there has been a breakdown in industrial relations.

"Unfortunately, the RMT believes we should meet their demands in full.

"We are making every effort to resolve this issue with the RMT to avoid the unnecessary disruption should the ballot lead to industrial action.

"We employ sufficient conductors to run the service and have a continual programme in place to recruit and train conductors to counter the effects of staff turnover."

Travelling on Southern over Christmas? Worried about strike? Comment below or get in touch at ben.weich@london.newsquest.co.uk