Proposed strain strikes have been called off after rail bosses made a new pay offer.
Members of the RMT union at ScotRail had been considering walkouts on every Friday and Saturday before December 25 – including Christmas Eve – after rejecting two offers.
However, that action has now been suspended to allow the union to ballot members on whether to accept the new offer of a five per cent increase plus £750.
ScotRail’s head of customer operations, Phil Campbell, said: “We’re pleased to have reached agreement with the RMT so that our staff will have a say on our very strong pay offer. If accepted, this will deliver an average 7.5 per cent basic pay increase, job security for at least six years, and increases allowances in commission payments
The RMT rejected an initial five per cent offer and a new deal that included an extra £500. But the promise of a further £250 has seen them go back to members.
Members of the RMT at Network Rail have also suspended planned train strikes due to fresh talks.
But drivers at two train companies running services through Lockerbie have announced a new strike date.
Members of the Aslef union at TransPennine Express and Avanti West Coast will stage a further walkout on Saturday, November 26.
The two companies are among 12 rail operators involved in the dispute, with union officials saying they are still waiting for a pay offer from employers.
General secretary Mick Whelan said: “We regret that passengers will be inconvenienced for another day. We don’t want to be taking this action. Withdrawing our labour is always a last resort for a trade union.
“We have come to the table, as we always will, in good faith but while the industry continues to make no offer – due to the dodgy deal they signed with the Department for Transport – we have no choice but to take strike action again.
“They want drivers to take a real terms pay cut. With inflation now well into double figures, train drivers who kept Britain moving through the pandemic are now being expected to work just as hard this year as last year but for less. Most of these drivers have not had an increase in salary since 2019.
“We want the companies – which are making huge profits – to make a proper pay offer so that our members can keep up with the cost of living.”
A Rail Delivery Group spokesperson said: “We are incredibly frustrated the Aslef leadership has decided to take further strike action.
“Instead of staging more counterproductive strike action which increases the very real financial challenge the industry is facing, we ask them to work with us to secure both a pay deal and the changes needed for it to thrive in the long term and improve reliability across the network.”
