Southern Rail's operator is going to the Supreme Court in a bid to prevent further London strike chaos

LONDON - The company operating London's Southern Rail network is taking legal action against the drivers' union responsible for strikes which brought train services in the capital grinding to a halt this week.

PA reported that Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which operates nine Southern Rail lines in and around London, will restart its case against union Aslef to prevent further strike action, following a second consecutive day of strikes on Wednesday.

"GTR is determined to protect its passengers and its business from unlawful industrial action," the company said in a statement.

"GTR is therefore prepared to continue its legal claim to the Supreme Court, as it believes that it has an arguable case that the industrial action is unlawful under EU law."

The dispute centres around attempts to introduce driver-only trains, which Aslef says would be unsafe for passengers.

In December, GTR lost a High Court bid to prevent strikes going ahead, which means an appeal moves to the Supreme Court. A further strike is scheduled on Friday, and three more walkouts are scheduled before the end of the month.

There was no immediate comment from Aslef on the announcement.