RAILWAY passengers in the region have been warned they face further misery as conductors vowed to continue their series of 24-hour strikes.

About 680 conductors employed by Arriva Trains Northern, who are members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT), refused to work on Saturday.

The company had aimed to operate across 75 per cent of the region and yesterday said it had achieved that.

A company spokeswoman said: "We reduced services wherever there were other operators. Then we covered the parts of the network where we are the sole operator, to make sure most customers could travel."

Union officials said there had been massive disruption, and blamed the company for the dispute.

Stan Herschel, RMT regional executive, said Arriva managers were working as conductors on the services the company had managed to provide, but he reckoned buses were used on most routes.

He said: "Those managers are going to put themselves into an early grave. They are working seven days a week."

Mr Herschel said further 24-hour strikes were planned on July 25, August 23 and 24, September 21, October 19, November 9, December 14, December 24, and December 31.

"It is with regret that this happened, but we didn't ask for this dispute," he said.

"It is up to Arriva to sort it out. Arriva owes the travelling public a massive apology, not our members."

Ray Price, managing director of Arriva Trains Northern, said the company had made conductors a number of "very fair offers".

He said: "I hope that our conductors will recognise the futility of this strike, appreciate the inconvenience they are causing our customers and the damage this continuing dispute is doing to the rail industry and its employees.

"Nobody gains from the approach being taken by the RMT.

"Our customers are inconvenienced, the conductors will lose money for no benefit, as will the company."