Ticket and counter staff have agreed a pay deal to end a year-long industrial dispute with rail operator Arriva Trains Northern.

Workers across the north of England will receive a 4% pay increase, backdated to September 2002, with a further increase in April.

The offer was accepted by ticket staff who are members of the the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) on Monday.

Members of the Rail Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) accepted the deal in a ballot last month.

Future improvements

The strike started in February 2002 over claims Arriva staff were paid �13,000 a year in comparison to people doing similar jobs at Midland Main Line and GNER on �16,200.

Arriva Trains Northern welcomed the decision by its station and retail employees in the TSSA union to vote to accept the company's latest pay offer.

Ray Price, managing director of Arriva Trains Northern, said: "We are pleased that following a referendum of its members the TSSA has formally accepted our pay offer of a 4% basic pay rise.

"The RMT, which also represents some of our station and retail employees, accepted this offer earlier this month, therefore, we can advise our customers that the dispute with this group of employees is now resolved.

"We will now focus on working with the our station and retail employees and their representatives to look at future structuring and to bring about more improvements for our customers in the months ahead."