A THREE-day rail strike this bank holiday weekend will go ahead after talks between union RMT and train operator First Great Western failed to bring about a resolution to a long-running dispute.

The union has said that key points in the dispute, including the lack of buffet cars on new electric trains, have not been addressed by the train operator.

But FGW has hit back saying that not a single member of train staff will lose their jobs with the arrival of the new trains.

The RMT has written to members this afternoon advising them that a 72 walk-out will be in place from 00.01 on Saturday and run right through the bank holiday weekend.

A separate walk-out will affect fleet maintenance staff, who will strike on Saturday and Monday, and not work any overtime on Sunday.

Writing to members this afternoon general secretary Mick Cash said that some progress had been made between the union and the train operator over the past week, but that the dispute remained unresolved in key areas.

He said: “With such lack of progress, all industrial action planned for this weekend remains on.

“I can advise you that I will be writing to the Department for Transport seeking an urgent meeting to discuss the buffet facilities on the trains and to incorporate the travelling public’s Save The Buffet Campaign as part of this.

“Additionally, I shall be raising this matter with our Parliamentary Group and writing to all MPs on the routes affected by this reduction in catering services.

“I am also requesting an urgent meeting with Hitachi with your union and FGW over the protection of our Fleet grades.”

The walk-out comes a week after RMT members at FGW took to the picket lines last weekend in the on-going dispute over the introduction of new high speed Hitachi electric trains, which the union fears will result in the loss of jobs and the removal of the buffet car service.

But a spokesman for First Great Western said: “The RMT says this is about protecting jobs, services and safety. But in truth they've had a series of concessions on the table for over a month that won't see a single member of train staff lose their jobs, means more services not less, and is based on a method of operating trains that has worked safely across the UK rail network for decades. So if those three issues are dealt with, you've got to ask what this is really about.

"It looks very likely that after this weekend the RMT will have once again unfairly disrupted our passengers, the economies of the communities we serve, and will have asked every one of their members to go without a week's worth of pay when they've already got what they asked for."

And managing director of FGW, Mark Hopwood, said he expected a 'good level of service' should the strike go ahead.

"We would still like to come to a negotiated agreement before the action is due to begin," he said today.