A PLANNED rail strike has been put on hold after the unions involved suspended their walk-out plans.

The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) and the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), had planned to walk out from 5pm, on Monday, May 25 - causing havoc as Liverpool hosts Cunard's 175th birthday celebrations.

But both have put strike plans on hold this afternoon after they received a new offer from Network Rail.

The threat caused a number of train operators to cancel services and some others to advise passengers not to travel on the rail network at all.

Officials from both unions have spent the last four days in talks with Network Rail at the conciliation service Acas.

In a letter to RMT members on the union's website, the group's General Secretary Mick Cash wrote:​ "After four days of talks at conciliation service Acas between your union and Network Rail management, the company has tabled a revised offer.

"Your Executive Committee has considered this offer and decided to suspend all industrial action which had been scheduled to take place on Monday 25th May and Tuesday 26th May 2015.

"The suspension of the action will give your Executive Committee an opportunity to hold urgent consultations with your Area Council Representatives next week.

"Further information with regards to the revised offer will be sent to you in due course.

"Please work your shifts, overtime and all other additional hours as normal next week."

A newsflash on Northern Rail's website said: "The planned industrial action has been suspended.

"All Northern Rail services will operate as normal on Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 May."