Negotiations over pay are set to restart with the RMT, following ASLEF’s provisional acceptance of the government’s pay offer to drivers, which will now be put to ASLEF members with a recommendation to accept.

Transport secretary Louise Haigh said the new deal for drivers will be ‘better value’ for taxpayers than allowing strikes to continue.

Starting in July 2022, drivers walked out at all English operators on 14 occasions, and a further four ‘staggered’ strikes affected different  operators. There were also 12 bans on rest day working, most of which lasted several days.

The offer to drivers, part of which is backdated, consists of 5 percent for 2022-23; 4.75 per cent for 2023-24 and 4.5 per cent for 2024-25.

The RMT is now looking for similar increases for its 40,000 rail industry members.

Ahead of next week’s discussions with government, RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: ‘All things being equal, we are expecting a parallel, synchronised offer.

‘We are meeting the Department on Tuesday on behalf of our members who work for train operating companies, and on Thursday for staff who work for Network Rail.’

Shadow transport minister Helen Whately accused the government of giving the unions priority.

She said: ‘Pensioners are being deprived of the winter fuel allowance, taxpayers are facing tax hikes and passengers are facing higher fares, all as the result of this government’s choice to put the unions first.’

She added that it was ‘deeply disappointing that this government has chosen not to include working practice reforms in their deal’.

The amount of any rail fares rise in 2025 is not yet known, but July’s RPI, announced two days ago, was 3.6 per cent. The figure for July each year is usually the basis for changes to rail fares the following year. Until recently, fares had risen each January, but the annual changes have been postponed until March since 2021.