There was good news for commutes in Sussex last night as guards at the county's rail companies voted against taking industrial action.

The Rail Maritime and Transport Union members working for Connex and Gatwick Express decided against staging one-day strikes as part of a row over the role of train guards.

But in a ballot members at 16 out of 23 companies voted yes to industrial action which could cripple rail services across the country. The RMT has delayed naming strike dates because fresh talks are to be held next week to try and settle the dispute.A Connex spokeswoman said: "We are delighted our members voted against action."

Train services in Sussex will come to a grinding halt on Tuesday when a series of one-day strikes start as part of a separate dispute. Connex said about 90 per cent of trains would be cancelled if the strike goes ahead on Tuesday.

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