Christmas Tube strike called off

In a separate dispute, Underground station staff are to be balloted

The threat of a Tube strike this Christmas has been lifted after a row over contracting out work was resolved.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union members at Metronet, responsible for Tube maintenance, had voted in favour of industrial action.

But the three 24-hour walkouts planned in the run-up to Christmas were called off after union leaders reached an agreement with Metronet bosses.

The dispute was over outsourcing, redundancies and pensions.

RMT General Secretary Bob Crow said Metronet agreed not to outsource current work to subcontractors and there would be no compulsory redundancies for members, which Metronet said had never been a consideration.

New Year's Eve

Although this development will come as a relief to travellers and commuters, there are further threats of disruption.

The RMT is set to ballot thousands of London Underground station staff in an effort to secure them a 35-hour working week.

The ballot result due on 22 December could mean a strike on New Year's Eve, when London Mayor Ken Livingstone planned to run a free Tube service through the night.

A further announcement revealed the union is to ballot workers on the Docklands Light Railway over pay.

Rail disruption is also expected in southern England because of maintenance work at London Waterloo, likely to affect South West Trains services from Surrey, Hampshire and the West Country.