The owners of Southern rail have lost their High Court bid to halt a series of strikes by train drivers.

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.

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) argued the strikes, which mean no services whatsoever will run, breach passengers’ rights.

But the GTR, Southern’s parent company, today lost the in-court battle to block the industrial action.

RELATED: Southern launches in-court bid to block drivers' strikes caused by dispute over driver-only trains

Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, said: “Southern, Britain’s worst private train company, has wasted shareholders’ money, passengers’ money and taxpayers’ money – because the company has been handsomely subsidised by the Conservative government – on a case it was always going to lose.

“Now the company should do the right thing and sit down with us and negotiate – properly, sensibly and in good faith – to do a deal for the benefit of passengers, staff and, yes, the company.”

Southern said the matter will now be reviewed by its legal team.

A spokesman for the rail company said: "Naturally, we're disappointed with today's decision. We will now immediately review matters with our legal team. We won't make any further comment at this stage."

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 on Tuesday.

A spokeswoman for GTR, ahead of the decision made today, said: “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."

Mr Whelan added: “Because we have done our best to try and reach a sensible and workable compromise with Southern in the interests of passengers and management as well as of staff.

“We have always been happy to talk, and we have always believed it is, or should be, possible to do a deal… But it takes two to tango and the company, encouraged by the Department for Transport, has not been prepared to negotiate with us.”