Six-day commuter rail strike set to be called off

Six days of rail strikes due to begin on Monday are expected to be called off.

The strikes would halt all National Express East Anglia services to and from Liverpool Street, which are used by 150,000 passengers a day. Leaders of Aslef, the train drivers' union, are in a crisis meeting this morning and are expected to accept a new pay deal.

Commuters suffered six days of strikes last month in a dispute involving the rail industry's three largest unions. The RMT and TSSA accepted an earlier deal but Aslef ordered an extra week of strikes beginning on Monday.

Under a two-year pay deal there will be a guaranteed 3.5 per cent increase and a further 0.5 per cent depending on productivity.

NXEA drivers currently earn just over £41,000. Aslef has 800 drivers working for NXEA and next week's walkout would have crippled services on routes including those from Colchester, Peterborough and Southend Victoria.

Andrew Chivers, NXEA managing director, called on Aslef to accept the deal saying passengers "have suffered enough" from "unrealistic" strikes.