Talks aimed at averting further strikes by Southern Railway conductors are to be held.
The development emerged hours before the end of a 24-hour walkout by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union in a dispute over the role of conductors and driver-only trains.
The strike, which ends at 11am, caused travel chaos for tens of thousands of passengers, with services across southern England cancelled or disrupted.
Two more 24-hour strikes are planned next month.
Talks to advert further action are set to take place on Friday.
An RMT spokesman confirmed the union will be attending the talks with the company, describing it as a "significant" development.
The union said its members were "solidly supporting" the second day of the strike and were receiving the backing of members of the public.
The company is planning to switch responsibility for operating train doors from conductors to drivers, which the union claims is unsafe.
Southern said it ran two-thirds of services on Tuesday but warned of disruption on Wednesday.
In a letter to the union, the company said it was keen to hold consultations on the "evolution" of the role of conductors.
"However, should you decline to attend, I must advise you that we will be left with no alternative other than to conclude that consultation is completed, that you have actively decided not to engage with the company in this consultation and GTR (Govia Thameslink Railway) will therefore proceed without your input," said the letter from Peter Evans, head of employee relations.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel