TRAIN conductors plan to bring the North-East rail network to a standstill at one of the busiest periods of the year.

Protracted industrial disputes between train bosses and 700 RMT Union conducting staff threaten to disrupt Christmas travel for thousands of rail passengers.

The RMT Union plans to call its members out on strike from Saturday to Christmas Eve, and again on New Year's Eve, unless pay talks are resolved.

The action will undoubtedly cause immense disruption for people trying to get home to family around the UK in time for the Christmas period.

Stan Herschel, of the RMT, accused Arriva of refusing to meet him in the middle ground.

He said: "You can only find middle ground when the other side is prepared to meet you in the middle.

"In this case, the other side are in their trenches and are asking us to walk across a minefield."

Arriva accused the RMT of pursuing an agenda against the Government and the Strategic Rail Authority.

A statement released last night said: "We can only conclude that our conductors are being used by the RMT to meet the union's wider political agenda."

Train users face a miserable four days if strike action cannot be avoided.

Limited timetables are likely to be put in place with some services cancelled and replacement buses put on instead, according to the Rail Passenger Committee North-East England.

Committee spokesman Ernie Preston said: "At one of the times when people will be relying on public transport a big chunk of it will be out of action. People are getting fed up of the inconvenience that has been caused."

The RMT and Arriva have been at loggerheads for much of the year over pay.

The union wants conductors' pay improved to £17,000 in the wake of huge pay rises for drivers. But Mr Preston believes the dispute is beyond redemption and an external body will have to be brought in to find a solution.

He said: "This dispute has been going on for a year now. We will be singing Happy Birthday to it before too long.

"Both sides have shown themselves singularly incapable of reaching a solution."