The threat of a planned 24-hour strike by Network Rail workers which would have caused major travel disruption for passengers was suspended yesterday.

THE threat of a planned 24-hour strike by Network Rail workers which would have caused major travel disruption for passengers was suspended yesterday.

Signallers in Scotland and track maintenance workers in north-west England who are members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union had been due to walk out on Friday in disputes over bonus payments.

Network Rail had described timing of the action, due to coincide with the first day of T in the Park music festival at Balado, near Kinross, as "appalling".

The union said Network Rail changed its position following a meeting on Monday to thrash out a deal on the payment of bonuses to signal workers in Scotland and to maintenance workers based in the area of the Grayrigg rail crash in Cumbria.

Network Rail had docked the Scottish workers' bonus after they took industrial action and withheld a bonus for staff in Cumbria pending the outcome of an inquiry into the accident.

After a meeting of the union's executive in London yesterday it said Network Rail had now indicated the vast majority of workers in Cumbria would receive their bonus. The amount being docked from the Scottish workers has been reduced.

Bob Crow, general secretary of the RMT, said: "There are still serious issues that need to be addressed, not least the use of general bonus schemes to punish workers who take strike action."

David Simpson, Network Rail route director in Scotland, said he was pleased with the union's decision. "This will prevent further disruption during a week in which passengers will rely more heavily than usual on the rail network," he added.