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TALKS aimed at averting strikes by thousands of rail workers in disputes over jobs and working practices will resume today.

The Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union had planned four days of industrial action last week but called it off after a successful legal challenge to its ballots by Network Rail.

The two sides are involved in a row over plans to axe 1,500 maintenance jobs and change rosters to allow more work to be done in the evenings and at weekends.

They will meet at the conciliation service Acas today for talks over the maintenance workers dispute.

Acas also announced that the union and the company had agreed to hold talks over the signal workers row, although no date has been set for that meeting.

Progress was made during earlier talks at Acas over the maintenance jobs.

The RMT executive will meet this week to discuss its next move following the legal challenge and is expected to agree a timetable for fresh ballots.