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| Rail minister Paul Maynard 'committed' to resolving Southern Rail issues | Rail minister Paul Maynard 'committed' to resolving Southern Rail issues |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Rail Minister Paul Maynard has assured passengers he is determined to resolve issues on the troubled Southern network as a matter of urgency. | |
| The government is to hold talks later this week with Southern Rail, which links London with Surrey and Sussex. | The government is to hold talks later this week with Southern Rail, which links London with Surrey and Sussex. |
| The rail company is embroiled in a long-running dispute with a transport union over the role of guards on new trains. | The rail company is embroiled in a long-running dispute with a transport union over the role of guards on new trains. |
| Mr Maynard said the continued delays and cancellations were "unacceptable". | Mr Maynard said the continued delays and cancellations were "unacceptable". |
| More updates on BBC Live: Sussex | |
| Industrial action by the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) and high levels of staff sickness have hit services, with the introduction of a temporary emergency timetable initially cutting up to 341 trains a day. | |
| Speaking at an adjournment debate in the House of Commons, Mr Maynard said: "I expect the tempo of reintroduction to be maintained and for this to be a matter of weeks and not months to be resolved. | Speaking at an adjournment debate in the House of Commons, Mr Maynard said: "I expect the tempo of reintroduction to be maintained and for this to be a matter of weeks and not months to be resolved. |
| "Some routes are still suffering badly and my priority is making sure services are being restored in a timely, sensible and lasting manner." | "Some routes are still suffering badly and my priority is making sure services are being restored in a timely, sensible and lasting manner." |
| "The real solution here is for the RMT to bring this dispute to a close and start to put passengers first," he added. | "The real solution here is for the RMT to bring this dispute to a close and start to put passengers first," he added. |
| Mr Maynard also denied plans for "more generous" compensation to Southern Rail commuters affected by strikes were on the "backburner". | Mr Maynard also denied plans for "more generous" compensation to Southern Rail commuters affected by strikes were on the "backburner". |
| "We hope to make a timely announcement," he said. | "We hope to make a timely announcement," he said. |
| Safety concerns | Safety concerns |
| He agreed to consider calls for season ticket holders to receive a rebate of up to 20% for not receiving the standard of service they had paid for. | He agreed to consider calls for season ticket holders to receive a rebate of up to 20% for not receiving the standard of service they had paid for. |
| The RMT is fighting moves to re-categorise conductors as "on-board supervisors", with drivers taking over responsibility for opening and closing carriage doors. | |
| It maintains it has legitimate concerns over safety and job cuts. | It maintains it has legitimate concerns over safety and job cuts. |
| A series of strikes since April has included a five-day walkout which was called off after three days. | A series of strikes since April has included a five-day walkout which was called off after three days. |
| Southern, which imposed the changes on 21 August after several strikes went ahead, insists the plans are safe and will mean fewer cancelled trains. | |
| RMT spokesman Garry Hassell has said the dispute "could last until Christmas". | RMT spokesman Garry Hassell has said the dispute "could last until Christmas". |