THE RMT union has moved a step closer to a damaging strike on Northern rail services after its members voted to take action in a row over the role of guards.

As a result guards and driver members will withdraw their labour for 24 hours on Monday March 13.

Northern, which is managed by Arriva, urged the union to “continue the talks we have already started” and said it planned to run a revised service.

The RMT said its members voted by 83.6 per cent for strike action and 93.5 per cent for action short of a strike after a ballot for industrial action was called.

The dispute centres on the possibility of driver-only trains being introduced to the Northern franchise – which are already in operation elsewhere in the country – as part of modernisation plans.

In addition to a driver, the RMT wants a guaranteed guard on the company’s services and for them to retain full operational responsibility.

It claims Northern has reneged on a previous promise, having stated it was prepared to offer guarantees around a second person on board.

RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said: “The company now has the best part of two weeks to sit down with us, address the core issues at the heart of this dispute and negotiate a settlement before the action commences.

“We will not agree to any extensions of driver only operation and will fight to retain the safety critical role of the guard and to keep a guard on the train.”

In a press release the RMT said that in 2014 Northern’s managing director Alex Hynes had told a rail industry magazine that there were “no plans to do driver only operation” and “trains will be modified for conductors [guards] to open and close doors”.

It was announced last month that Mr Hynes is leaving his job with Arriva to take up a new post with the ScotRail Alliance.

A spokesman for Northern said: “As our modernisation proposals are still in the early stages, it is a shame that RMT has announced strike action.

“Our aim is to reach a constructive resolution and we urge RMT to continue the talks we have already started.

“If strike action goes ahead, our customers can be reassured that we have plans in place to keep them moving.”