RAILWAY workers will not take strike action after unions reached an agreement over a pay dispute.

The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers was set to ballot its members on strike action over what it had described as an ‘unacceptable’ pay offer from Arriva Rail North, which operates as Northern Rail.

But workers will not head out on to the picket line after Northern Rail and the unions struck a new pay increase.

Mick Cash, general secretary for the RMT, said: “This revised offer represents a major breakthrough for the unions and has been secured through the hard work of our negotiators, backed up by the determination and solidarity of our members who have made it quite clear that they were prepared to stand up and fight for a fair deal.

“The fact that the deal lifts the basic pay levels of those on the lowest grades is also a significant victory and is a model for the industry at a time when the drive is to hammer down on these key members of the rail team.

“The strike vote is lifted and we will be recommending a yes vote in a referendum ballot.”

Arriva Rail North was awarded the northern franchise by the government in December 2015 and was tasked with introducing more than 2,000 extra services per week plus £400m worth of new carriages.

A spokesman for Northern Rail said: “The offer has been accepted by trade unions locally, but must now be agreed at a national level.

“Throughout the discussions we have emphasised our commitment to investing in our people and working towards a satisfactory conclusion and are pleased to have been able to reach agreement, in principle, over a deal which gives financial stability for employees until April 2018.”