Summary

  • The boss of Southern rail and a union chief have agreed to hold fresh talks in a bid to resolve the crisis on the network, the BBC understands.

  • Charles Horton, of parent company GTR, and Mick Lynch, assistant general secretary of the RMT, held impromptu discussions after the BBC recording.

  • Commuters affected by the strikes, delays and cancellations demanded a quick resolution to the dispute.

  • Members of the Aslef union are due to walk out for three days this week - tomorrow, Wednesday and Friday.

  • Viewers in London, the South East and the South can see the debate programme at 19:30 GMT on BBC One.

  • Updates on Monday 9 January 2017

Live Reporting

  1. 'Should be a guard on every train'

    Bob Dale
    BBC Live reporter

    More tweets in reaction to tonight's debate.

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  2. 'I desperately need guards'

    Bob Dale
    BBC Live reporter

    James, a disabled traveller from Crawley, wants to keep guards on all trains.

    I desperately need guards, being an electric wheelchair user. During the strike I had to do my own guesswork and stick my head out at Three Bridges".

    James Welling, Crawey commuter

  3. 'They can solve this pretty easily'

    Bob Dale
    BBC Live reporter

    The head of one group which represents South East commuters believes the Transport Secretary should also be in the talks between company managers and unions.  

    Two guys in a room, where's the government? Govia are managing agents, who's going to pay for the better screens? They can solve this pretty easily, they're hiding behind the company".

    Stephen Trigg, Reigate, Redhill and District Rail Users' Association

  4. 'You see more with your own eyes than with the cameras'

    Bob Dale
    BBC Live reporter

    A second driver told Danny Pike he sees this dispute as setting a pattern for the whole UK.

    We are just a guinea pig for what's coming around the Country. Every single person using a train will have to be careful. I get out and look - you see more with your own eyes than with the cameras."

    Anonymous, train driver

  5. 'A political strike...a shambles'

    Bob Dale
    BBC Live reporter

    Some more comments from listeners across the South and South East, following tonight's debate.

    This is a political strike, the unions are trying to bring down the government. They want a general election".

    Norman, Ashford passenger

    It's a shambles".

    Ricky, Southampton

    It's safe provided the right equipment is put in place".

    Martin, East Peckham, former driver and instructor

  6. 'It's not the life I signed up for'

    Bob Dale
    BBC Live reporter

    Debbie from Oxted tells Danny Pike she's disappointed that no agreement seems on the horizon.

    We want a resolution, it's been going on for far too long, never knowing when I pull into the station if I'm going to get to work or not. It's not the life I signed up for when I moved to Oxted".

    Debbie, Oxted commuter

  7. 'An unsafe method of train despatch'

    Bob Dale
    BBC Live reporter

    A train driver, who spoke on condition of anonymity, called Danny Pike, to explain why he and his colleagues don't think introducing DOO across the network is safe.

    The drivers that are currently out on strike are not driving the modern trains that the government keep referring to. They're being run with old stock with faulty and dodgy monitors. We are talking about an imposition of an unsafe method of train despatch".

  8. Have your say

    Bob Dale
    BBC Live reporter

    Following the debate, you've been having your say on Twitter.

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  9. 'I want to see TfL running suburban metro services'

    Stuart Maisner
    BBC Live reporter

    Could Transport for London run some Southern rail services?

    Caroline Pidgeon, Liberal Democrat member of the London Assembly, certainly thinks so... 

  10. Mayor: 'Seaford is suffering dreadfully'

    The Mayor of Seaford, Lindsay Freeman, described how the strike had affected the town.   

  11. 'Are you listening to each other'

    Stuart Maisner
    BBC Live reporter

    Presenter Jo Coburn challenged both RMT and Southern spokespeople to listen to each other during a heated exchange.  

  12. 'It's a complete and utter nonsense and a highly political strike'

    Stuart Maisner
    BBC Live reporter

    Sussex MP Tim Loughton pointed out that driver-only operated trains have been running on Thameslink without issue for some time.   

  13. Sussex MP: 'It's hard for the Government to come up with more'

    Stuart Maisner
    BBC Live reporter

    Huw Merriman, the MP for Bexhill and Battle, is also a member of the influential Transport Select Committee.

    Here's his view on whether the Government should intervene, or whether it should have got involved earlier, in the Southern rail dispute.  

  14. 'How do you sleep at night?'

    Stuart Maisner
    BBC Live reporter

    That was the question from Christian Brideson to Southern's Chief Executive Charles Horton and Mick Lynch from the RMT Union.

    Mr Brideson says he used to commute to London but is now too ill to do so.

    And he believes the strike has contributed to his illness.

  15. 'It led to the break up of our relationship'

    Gatwick commuter Ray Chapman told about the impact the strike has had on his personal life.      

  16. 'You could not get me home on time to see my son'

    Stuart Maisner
    BBC Live reporter

    Commuter Emma Green from Littlehampton in West Sussex told the panel how she had to leave her job to work closer to home - because she couldn't rely on the trains to get her home to see her son.  

  17. Worst rail strike in 20 years

    Stuart Maisner
    BBC Live reporter

    Here's a look at why the Southern rail dispute is causing problems for so many people.  

  18. Southern boss: 'I am deeply sorry'

    Stuart Maisner
    BBC Live reporter

    Charles Horton, Chief Executive of Govia Thameslink Railway, which runs Southern, had these words for passengers and the unions.   

  19. Union boss: 'The company is refusing to come to a compromise'

    Stuart Maisner
    BBC Live reporter

    That's the view of Mick Lynch from the RMT Union.

    Here's what he had to say when he was asked why a resolution to the dispute has not yet been reached.

  20. The cost of the strike

    Stuart Maisner
    BBC Live reporter

    Lets have a look at the Southern strike so far in numbers.