LAST-DITCH efforts to avert 14 days of strike action collapsed yesterday, meaning more train woe for thousands of commuters.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) sat down with bosses at Southern Railway in a bid to resolve a dispute over conductor roles.

But after meeting at 10am both sides confirmed the crisis talks had failed and conductors had turned down the £2,000 offer to accept changes which would see drivers control the opening and shutting of the doors.

RMT members are due to stage strike action starting with a three-day walkout from Tuesday.

The news was met with anger on all sides. Hove MP Peter Kyle told The Argus he was at his wits’ end with “continued tit-for-tat point scoring” and said: “This dispute is a wrecking ball aimed at Brighton and Hove’s economy and family life, and it must come to an end.”

Brighton’s Green MP Caroline Lucas said Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which runs Southern, was “not fit for purpose” adding: “It’s no exaggeration to say the debacle that is Southern Railway is causing real damage.”

Lewes MP Maria Caulfield, whose patch includes the crisis-hit Seaford line, said she shared the disappointment of commuters.

Southern has said it would run more trains than during previous strikes with most of its 156 stations having either a train or bus service “of some description”.

GTR is now pressing ahead with the changes. Notice letters will be served to conductors, terminating their contracts and inviting them to sign up to the new role of on-board supervisor.

Mick Cash, RMT General Secretary said: “A fresh set of proposals put forward by the union have been rejected out of hand with barely a cursory glance.

“The public will be rightly angry that the company have kicked back in our faces a chance to resolve this long-running dispute.

Charles Horton, chief executive of GTR, apologised for months of passenger misery and said: “The RMT’s counter-proposal didn’t come anywhere near our goals of modernising our train service for the benefit of passengers.

“What the RMT want to do is retain their power and control by insisting our trains cannot run under any circumstances without a conductor on board, leading to more delays and cancellations.”

POLITICIANS QUICK TO COMMENT ON RAIL WAR

MEMBERS of Parliament across the political spectrum were quick to comment on the latest twist in the rail dispute.

Hove MP Peter Kyle said: “With the rail company and unions now in all-out war, no one seems to be accepting that next week’s strike will cause heartbreak, economic hardship, and misery. I am at my wits’ end with the continued tit-for-tat point-scoring in this bitter dispute, and stunned at a government that stands to one side like a passive observer.

“This dispute is a wrecking ball aimed at Brighton’s economy and family life and it must be brought to an end.”

Lewes MP Maria Caulfield, whose constituency includes the Seaford line, added: “Rail-users and their families will be the ones who bear the brunt of this news.”

Green MP Caroline Lucas said: “The way this strike has been handled demonstrates yet again that GTR is not fit for purpose. It’s time to strip them of this franchise and put this rail line in public hands. It’s no exaggeration to say that the debacle that is Southern is causing real damage.”

Rail minister Paul Maynard said union leaders have rejected a deal “that protects jobs and ensures conductors will carry on delivering a safe and reliable service”.