TRAIN operator Arriva Trains Northern last night said it had maintained a "robust level" of services during the latest one-day strike by conductors.

The company said it had been able to run more than three quarters of services despite the action.

More than 600 of its conductors walked out yesterday in a long-running dispute over pay and a further one-day strike is planned for Saturday.

The Rail Maritime and Transport union is pressing for a ten per cent basic rise for its conductors working for Arriva.

Company spokeswoman Julie Jobling said: "We were working hard to provide as many trains as we possibly could and delivered a robust level of service.

"We said yesterday that 75 per cent of the network would be covered and that is what happened."

She said the train operator had done its best to minimise disruption for racegoers at York's Ebor meeting and had also placed advertisements in the race card warning of the strike.

However, passengers said the level of information at some stations was poor. One, who found his rush-hour York to Northallerton train cancelled, said: "Two or three of us were in the same position in not knowing that there was even a strike on. We were all very annoyed."