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LONDON, Feb 2 (Reuters) - One of Britain's longest and mostdamaging rail strikes since the industry was privatised in the1990s appeared to be heading for resolution on Thursday asmanagement at Southern Rail and its drivers reached provisionalagreement.
The dispute over who should open the automatic doors atstations - drivers or on-board conductors - has paralysedservices in southern England for months and caused travel chaosfor millions of commuters.
Unions insisted safety was the main issue but managementsaid driver-operated doors were safe.
Around 930 members of the ASLEF drivers' union on SouthernRail will now have until Feb. 16 to vote on the deal.
"I welcome this agreement which is a significant stepforward in addressing the safety concerns of ASLEF members onSouthern Rail," ASLEF General Secretary Mick Whelan said in astatement.
Nick Brown, chief operating officer of Southern's ownersGovia Thameslink Railway (GTR) said: "It's good news forpassengers, the regional economy and staff.
"After the misery and disruption to people's work and familylives, we are pleased we can start to move forward and deliver abetter railway for the travelling public."
GTR is a joint venture owned by London-listed Go-Ahead and France's Keoli.
Both the drivers in ASLEF and the conductors in the RMTunion, who open the doors at the moment, were in dispute withthe company.
"We are ready, willing and able to meet with the RMT," GTR'sBrown said in a statement following the ASLEF accord.
But RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said his union had nodetails of the ASLEF agreement and that the RMT dispute remainedon.
He noted, though that Southern has offered to hold talkswith his union.
"Once we have the full details of the deal that has beenstruck today, and an assurance that the terms of reference ofthose talks will focus on the retention of a secondsafety-critical member of staff on Southern services, we canagree an immediate date for negotiations to commence," he saidin a statement. (Reporting by Stephen Addison; Editing by Alistair Smout)