£15 million  has been set aside by the government to compensate those affected by the ongoing strikes on Southern Rail.  It’s on top of the £38 million it’ll pay due to the fall in fare revenue.

The year long dispute over driver only trains is the worst to hit the the rail industry for 23 years.  Over 58,000  Southern services were either fully or partly cancelled in 2016.

The train operator says it’s “deeply sorry for the disruption passengers have faced” and has apologised for “the effect it has had on the local economy.”

The RMT says it takes “no pleasure in the fact that this dispute has lasted a year” and believes “it could have been resolved right from the start.”  While ASLEF says it’s “looking for a resolution which works for staff, passengers and the company.”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-39327154