Southern rail drivers to hear details of Aslef deal

Aslef called off planned strike action in January to go into talks

Details of a deal agreed between the train drivers union Aslef and the operators of the Southern rail network are to be put to union members later.

Aslef and the RMT unions have been in dispute with Govia Thameslink (GTR) over changes to guards' roles.

The RMT said the deal struck after 11 days of talks was a "betrayal".

Under the agreement with Aslef, Southern will be able to run trains without a guard or onboard supervisor under certain circumstances.

Aslef's assistant general secretary Simon Weller said: "We wanted a second, safety-critical person on trains and that is what we have got.

"There will be some exceptions, such as when someone is taken ill or delayed on their way to work, but they are broadly the same as they have always been.

"It is the arrangement we have with conductors under the old system."

Drivers 'sold out'

Mr Weller said plans for driver-only operated trains in the event of further strikes by RMT members had been opposed by Aslef and had been dropped.

"They wanted driver-only operation but they have not got driver-only operation," he said.

He said the union expected the deal would be accepted by Aslef members, but some members have told the BBC they feel "sold out" by their union.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash has written to Charles Horton, the chief executive of GTR saying he will take part in fresh talks over the role of conductors.

Southern and Aslef have agreed when a train could run without its scheduled on-board supervisor (OBS)

The deal also lists when an OBS may be called to help dispatch a train