Southern Rail passengers could be hired to drive trains themselves in new plan to end strike misery
STRIKE-hit rail bosses plan to beat union militants by hiring an army of part-time train drivers.
Long-suffering commuters could earn extra cash by taking the controls of local services in their spare time.
A national recruitment campaign will be launched tomorrow in a Government-backed plan to combat costly disruption.
Last week’s strikes on Southern Rail by drivers’ union Aslef over driver-only trains led to the cancellation of 2,300 services.
Overtime bans also hit a quarter of trains on non-strike days.
Another three days of strikes are planned for next week as unions' battle over train staffing rolls on.
Transport Secretary Chris Grayling wants to boost the rail workforce to prevent companies being held to ransom by unions.
Southern will now embark on Britain’s biggest ever driver training programme, aimed at maintaining a pool of 200 trainees.
Bosses are also willing to train up people from all walks of life to be part-time drivers.
A Government source said: “Southern are urging people who want to work part-time as drivers to apply.
"The reliance on overtime has to stop so industrial action cannot cause such disruption.”
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Fully-qualified drivers earn about £49,000 a year but can pick up about £9,000 a year in overtime.
A spokesman for Govia Thameslink Railway, which runs Southern, said: “After full training, there is the option to work full or part-time.”
The move comes as ministers prepare to enforce tough new laws banning “undemocratic” strike action.
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