Arriva Trains Northern has given its drivers a hefty 18 per cent pay rise in a bid to keep them at the company.

The under-fire operator has been forced to cancel scores of trains every week because it has been losing drivers to rival firms paying higher wages.

Alan Dodd, northern secretary of train drivers' union ASLEF, said yesterday's pay deal should help the company keep hold of its staff. The average wage for a driver will now rise from £23,766 to £28,000 per annum.

But now ticket office and station staff have threatened to strike if they do not receive a comparable pay rise.

Arriva bosses were today locked in talks with the Transport Salaried Staff Association (TSSA) union which represents those workers.

Mr Dodd said of the drivers' deal: "The purpose of these talks was to assist Arriva in its driver retention because they were still losing a lot of drivers every month and we are very pleased with the outcome of yesterday's negotiations.

"Although the rise still leaves Arriva behind the payment for long-distance operators, they are now slightly ahead of most regional railways operators."

But Steve Coe, from TSSA, warned that his members would "almost certainly" be balloted about strike action if today's talks broke down.

"The company has found a considerable increase for the drivers so we will be looking for something similar."

A spokesman for Arriva said it was "inappropriate" to comment on pay negotiations with its staff.