A deal has been agreed between Southern rail and the Aslef union to end their dispute over driver-only operated (DOO) trains, the TUC general secretary, Frances O’Grady, has announced.

Details of the agreement reached in negotiations held at the TUC between operating company Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) and drivers’ union Aslef have yet to be announced, but Aslef appears to have conceded a key principle that a train can run in certain circumstances with only a driver on board. It is thought that GTR has reiterated an earlier offer – also made to the RMT – to always roster a second, safety-trained crew member but now with conditions where they could operate trains without them if necessary.

A series of strikes by drivers had brought trains to a halt, while an overtime ban closed branch lines and severely disrupted services from early December until talks began. Strikes planned for late January were suspended while Aslef started fresh talks to resolve the row over DOO trains, which drivers said were potentially unsafe.

In a statement at the TUC headquarters in central London, O’Grady said: “Following two weeks of intensive talks, the parties have now reached an agreement. For avoidance of doubt, subject to securing the support of Aslef members, the dispute between Aslef and Southern is over.”

Nick Brown, GTR’s chief operating officer, said: “Our aim has always been to reach agreement with the unions on our proposals and we’re delighted to have secured a deal today with Aslef to end their dispute.



“It’s good news for passengers, the regional economy and staff. After the misery and disruption to people’s work and family lives, we are pleased we can start to move forward and deliver a better railway for the travelling public.”

Mike Whelan, the general secretary of Aslef, said: “I am pleased that we have finally been able to reach an agreement with the company which reflects the concerns of train drivers. I believe this deal can deliver a safer and appropriately staffed railway for passengers on Southern rail and I will be recommending it to Aslef members.”

However, Whelan said: “This is not a template for the industry, it is a resolution to an individual dispute.”

Details of the deal are not expected before it has been put to a vote by union members, with the result of the online referendum of Aslef members on Southern due on 16 February.

But it is believed that a significant part of the agreement hinges on the circumstances in which trains can run without a second member of staff on board.



While GTR had previously offered to always roster a safety-trained second crew member, the company wanted to reserve the right to run trains with only a driver in times of disruption or exceptional circumstances – a caveat rejected by the RMT union, which represents conductors and launched a series of strikes from last April.

However, Aslef appears to have agreed a set of circumstances in which no second crew member would be required, as part of a package of measures to address concerns about DOO trains on the network.

GTR and the Rail Safety and Standards Board argued that DOO was common practice on much of the rail network, including on Southern’s sister service Thameslink.



But unions have resisted any extension of the practice. Aslef argues that as railways have become more crowded, with longer trains, it is no longer always safe. The union had said its drivers could not process the CCTV screens in the cab as safely as a conductor standing outside the train before closing the doors.

Marz Colombini, an Aslef negotiator in the talks, said the deal did not include any extra pay or improved terms and conditions for drivers. He said: “It demonstrates, as we have always said, that it’s about safety.”

GTR’s dispute with the RMT continues. The union, which represents conductors, who have been rebranded as onboard supervisors, was not involved in the talks.



RMT strikes have had a comparatively limited effect on the service, leading to widespread cancellations but not the total stoppage of trains across the network seen on Aslef strike days.

GTR and the TUC extended a fresh invitation to the union, with GTR saying it was “ready, willing and able to meet with the RMT”.

But the RMT general secretary, Mick Cash, said they had yet to be given any details of the agreement or the impact on almost 500 guards who had been involved in the dispute. He said: “That is an appalling way for that group of workers to be treated.

“RMT understands that central to the agreement with Aslef is a guarantee of a second person ‎on the train. We also understand that the implementation of that aspect of the agreement is subject to further discussions and negotiations with RMT around the safety competencies of that second member of staff.

“It is now essential that we open up urgent ‎discussions with GTR around this core issue of the second safety-critical staff member, and the details of their future role, that will allow us all to move forwards. RMT is available for those talks with immediate effect.”

The transport secretary, Chris Grayling, said: “I’m very pleased that Aslef and Southern have reached an agreement. I think it’s good news for passengers.

“I’m very grateful to those who have been involved, from the TUC and the help they’ve provided, to the HR director of Abellio who has been a real help in making this possible.

“We now need to concentrate on getting this railway back to normal, sorting out other challenges, but I hope this means passengers are going to start to see things operate on a normal basis again.”

Performance on Southern, including punctuality and cancellations, had worsened before the industrial action, with staff shortages and engineering works contributing to the company’s problems. Last week, the national rail passenger survey confirmed that Southern was the worst-performing train operator.



This week, commuters launched a legal claim to attempt to force the Department for Transport to take action over the failing train service.



GTR has claimed that responsibility for the breakdown in service was outside its control. The DfT has yet to respond.