Staff of the Virgin East Coast rail franchise have voted to strike in a disputer over pay and conditions.
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The rail operator said tomorrow’s service would still run based on the strike timetable but it would add in extra services “wherever possible”.
Caroline Ansell, Eastbourne MP, said: “I’m delighted the strike has been called off and I would like to thank the RMT for listening to my entreaties and to those of others”.
The union said the strikes are part of a long-running dispute the company “on the work/life balance of safety-critical train managers”.
A Eurostar spokesman said: ‘We are aware of the plans for strike action and our focus has been seeking a joint resolution whilst planning to provide a good service for our customers.
Southern Railway staff have called off the final two days of their mammoth strike.
There’s a glimmer of brightness though, as the five-day strike could be suspended on Thursday and Friday.
RMT can confirm that we were within an inch of making progress towards boxing off a deal with Southern in Acas talks on Friday afternoon.
“Southern and the RMT are returning to talks tomorrow under the auspices of Acas”.
“On Friday we plan to revert to the revised timetable operating before the strike”.
GTR have argued the proposals are safe and will not lead to job losses, but RMT said the move would reduce the “safety-critical” jobs of guards and conductors.
Hundreds of thousands of passengers were forced to endure travel misery this week as the strike action took hold.
It said rail operator Southern had agreed to fresh talks.
TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes said there was still a “window of opportunity” to solve the dispute in talks with management on Friday. “That makes a mockery of the negotiation process and proves that they have no intention of ending this dispute regardless of the cost”.
“Due to ongoing threats to France by Islamist terrorist groups, and recent French military intervention against Daesh (formerly referred to as ISIL), the French government has warned the public to be especially vigilant and has reinforced its security measures” the Foreign Office said.
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Union bosses have denied they are embarked on a series of co-ordinated strikes to inflict a summer of discontent on Britain’s railways after a walk-out lasting seven days over the holiday season was announced by Eurostar workers.
