TALKS aimed at resolving one of the longest disputes in the rail industry will be held today.

Leaders of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union will meet bosses at Southern Railway to try to break the deadlocked row over staffing and driver-only trains.

Officials from the drivers union Aslef held talks with the company last week.

Both unions have recently met Transport Secretary Chris Grayling to explain their opposition to an extension of driver-only trains and changes to the role of guards.

The dispute on Southern has sparked more than a year of industrial action, causing travel chaos for 300,000 passengers.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said the union had a “clear formula” for resolving the dispute. He added: “We have laid that formula out to Chris Grayling and we will be entering the talks with a positive set of proposals that we believe can bring 16 months of industrial action to an end. We have given a clear undertaking to the Secretary of State that we will report back to him on the progress of this fresh round of talks.

“We now have an opportunity for genuine and meaningful talks to take place and RMT has committed to that process after well over a year of false starts.

“The union fully believes that the fare-paying passengers want a fresh start and a new approach that puts safety and access first.”