Passengers will face more disruptions to their travel arrangements after Southern confirmed it will axe 341 trains a day under a new temporary timetable. 

The under-fire rail operator announced it would introduce the new timetable from Monday (July 11), due to high numbers of staff sickness and an "unwillingness" by others to work overtime following an industrial dispute in June.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) Workers union went out on strike over a dispute regarding conductors’ contracts.

Among the announcements Southern said that 95 per cent of the capacity in Victoria station would be achieved during morning and evening peak times as well as 86 per cent and 84 per cent of the morning and evening peak capacity travelling into London Bridge.

The company also said it would run longer trains and replacement bus services "whenever possible" and that passengers would be able to claim compensation for delays against both the original and revised timetables.

Southern passenger services director Alex Foulds said: “We are introducing this temporary weekday revised timetable with reluctance but it is the best thing we can do for our passengers who have been suffering daily cancellations ever since this dispute with the RMT began, and for which we are sincerely sorry.

“It should give the majority of our passengers a better, more consistent service that they can plan around.

“Whilst our first priority is our passengers, we also understand that this has been a difficult time for our staff. Conductors already know that their jobs are guaranteed, that there will be no reduction in salary and that the independent rail safety body has confirmed our plans are safe.

“Now, after listening to our staff, we have also decided to restore leisure travel benefits. All of this, we believe, should help our staff feel able to return to work and so reduce the issues causing the current high level of train cancellations.”

Following the announcement RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said:“This is crisis management on Britain's biggest rail franchise, a franchise that is now in terminal meltdown.

"The continuing attempt to blame this gross mismanagement on the front line staff is a cynical and cowardly ploy by a company who have chosen to wage war on their passengers and workforce alike.

“The managers at GTR pay themselves fat salaries and bonuses, in reward for failure on an epic scale, while the staff on the trains and platforms are left to take the blame for the bosses incompetence.

“This so called emergency timetable enables Govia to cancel 15% of their trains and rig their appalling performance figures to protect their profits.

“Instead of conniving with this scandal the Government should fire GTR and immediately instruct the legal, public-sector fall-back operation to take over.”

Southern said it would revert back to the original timetable once staffing levels returned to normal.

The rail operator also announced it would give conductors back their leisure passes and restore the shift swap system, which gives them flexibility in their work patterns.

-more to follow-