RAIL users face a double whammy this week - an increase in fares and the possibility of strike action.

The fares increase will hit hardest elsewhere in the country, but the industrial action could bring chaos to local services.

Conductors for Arriva Trains Northern are expected to vote overwhelmingly in favour of strike action following the collapse of pay talks last week.

They were balloted by the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers, (RMT), and the results are expected tomorrow.

At the heart of the dispute is the pay differential between drivers and conductors, following the reported 50 per cent increase recently awarded to the former.

The conductors now want to see their £15,500 salary increased by £6,500.

Their demands have been rejected by Arriva bosses.

Once the results of the ballot are known, the union will have to give seven days' notice to the company, so any strike action will take place after January 15.

Action is likely to target weekend services.

"We want to give maximum disruption to the company and the minimum to commuters," said the RMT's York regional organiser Alan Heath.

He said the expected industrial action would continue until the conductors were given a new offer giving them a reasonable comparison with the drivers.

Bosses at Arriva have refused to comment.

A sokesman said: "Negotiations are a matter between the company and its employees."

Meanwhile, many rail operators are introducing annual fare increases today, and some journeys will cost up to 17 per cent more.

However the North-East and North Yorkshire will escape the worst of the increases.

Arriva has already announced that it is freezing fares at last year's levels and GNER is keeping its increase to 2.8 per cent.

The chairman of the Rail Passengers Council, Stewart Francis, praised those operators freezing fares or keeping the increases low.

But he said: "Against this, a few operators are increasing standard-class fares by about four per cent, which simply cannot be justified.

"We are also particularly concerned that on some routes walk-on fares have seen massive increases and some business travellers and season ticket holders will face rises of ten per cent and 17 per cent in first-class fares."

* Strikes on South West Trains will go ahead today and tomorrow after peace talks ended without agreement, the RMT union said last night.

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