The weekend industrial action by First North Western train drivers - which was originally called off - was reinstated despite a revised pay offer from the company.

The latest offer doesn't meet our aspirations, obviously we have to consider developments and we will put it to our members Colin Smith, Aslef

Trade union Aslef, which represents many of the workforce, will hold a referendum into the new offer but the results will not be made public for three weeks.

The industrial action is in addition to 48-hour stoppages beginning on New Year's Eve and on 2 February.

The union claims the company has broken a promise to increase drivers' pay to �28,000 a year.

First North Western had agreed to increase workers' salaries over a three year period.

Disappointed

The scheme would have been phased in and reached �28,000 by 1 April 2004.

This was ruled unacceptable by Aslef and the company brought the date forward to 26 January 2004.

Vernon Baker, First North Western managing director, said Aslef should not have continued with the strike.

"I am bitterly disappointed that Aslef has not suspended the planned strike action and regrettably we will not be able to run a train service on these dates," he said.

Colin Smith from Aslef said executive members had called off strike action in July during the Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

Passengers board a replacement bus

He said the decision had angered many members and bosses were not prepared to call off anymore strikes before a referendum.

"The latest offer doesn't meet our aspirations, obviously we have to consider developments and we will put it to our members.

"When we suspended action during the Commonwealth Games we angered many of our trade union members," he said.

A replacement bus service was running instead of some of the trains.

First North Western runs 1,500 trains a day from Monday to Saturday and 500 trains on Sundays across north Wales and the north west of England.

The strike action ended at midnight on Sunday.

Passengers requiring journey information can contact First North Western on 0800 528 0200 or National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50.