RAIL-USERS faced another weekend of disruption as the pay dispute between Arriva Trains Northern (ATN) and its train conductors continued into its tenth month.

While ATN said that up to 75 per cent of its services were running despite Saturday's 24-hour strike, unions countered by reporting "strong and solid" support.

The Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union said it expected about 700 conductors to have joined the walkout over the long-running pay dispute.

Ray Price, managing director of ATN, said: "We share our customers' frustration for the inconvenience."

But a spokesman for the RMT said the resolve of members remained solid, even after ten months of the dispute, which yesterday also included station and retail staff at Arriva.

"The travelling public see the injustice for Arriva workers and this is one dispute the company is not going to win."

The RMT has now taken 20 days of strike action against Arriva this year, and is planning further walkouts.

The union has rejected the offer of a four per cent rise in basic pay this year, plus more for productivity measures and a three per cent rise from next April.

Bob Crow, RMT general secretary, said: "It is clear that the company could not care less about keeping promises, getting rid of poverty pay or running train services."

Mr Crow claimed the company and the Strategic Rail Authority were blaming each other for the dispute, and his members were "caught in the middle".