Fresh talks will be held in a bid to avert Southern rail strikes after a proposed deal was surprisingly rejected by members of Aslef.

Sources said union leaders will meet company executives at a secret location today, without the involvement of the conciliation service Acas or the TUC, which chaired 11 days of previous talks.

It is understood that the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union will not be involved. Its members are staging a fresh 24-hour strike on Wednesday in a bitter dispute over staffing and the role of conductors.

The TUC talks resulted in a proposed resolution to a long-running row about driver-only trains, which was rejected by Aslef members.

Neither side would confirm the renewed attempt to avert more strikes, although Southern said "lines of communication remain open".