PASSENGERS on Arriva trains know all about disruption. Last year, thousands of its Yorkshire services were cancelled, a failure that cost the company millions of pounds in fines.

New Arriva Trains Northern boss Ray Price pledged an improved service in December. One month on, and his passengers are again facing chaos.

Arriva is looking to place the entire blame for the imminent two-day strike on the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union. But no amount of union agitating could have secured a 15-to-one majority in favour of a walk-out in a ballot of conductors.

That damning verdict could only have been forged in genuine fury.

Post-privatisation mismanagement is again at the heart of this issue. Train operators embarked on a redundancy programme and then found themselves short of 1,000 cab crew.

This sparked a wage war between the companies to retain drivers and prevent them being poached. Salaries on the GNER East Coast Main Line have trebled since privatisation.

Arriva's response was to hike drivers' pay by 18 per cent. But their offer of an eight per cent rise to the conductors leaves them around £11,000 adrift of drivers. Conductors, responsible for the safety of the train, are bitter and angry.

Their strike tomorrow, centred around York station, will cause chaos, forcing more passengers onto the roads, perhaps never to return. This is the last thing Britain's railways need.

Pressure needs to be exerted on both sides to end this strike. But where are the politicians?

They will claim that it is not their job to become involved in a private dispute. Nonsense. It is the job of the Government to ensure our transport systems are working. It is the job of an RMT-sponsored MP such as York's Hugh Bayley to make strenuous efforts to bring union and management together: but he is out of the country. It is the job of John Prescott, as former transport supremo and MP for Hull, to be doing the same.

Once again, passengers have been abandoned to their fate.

Updated: 10:42 Wednesday, January 23, 2002