Union FNV has cancelled this week’s strike action by traffic controllers following a preliminary agreement with rail operator ProRail, it said in a statement.

The FNV Spoor union, which organised the strike, demanded a 2.8% pay rise, a shorter collective labour agreement and a wider application of the early retirement scheme. The CNV and VHS railway unions have already agreed to the ProRail offer.

Agreement has been reached on a new collective labour agreement although the details of the deal have not yet been made public.

The strikes, which were to hit regions across the country on Thursday and Friday culminating in no service at all on Saturday, will not now go ahead.

‘Of course the members will have to vote for the new agreement but strike action is definitely off’, FNV official Michiel de Boer said.

Wednesday’s actions in Utrecht, Amersfoort, Amsterdam and Alkmaar caused major upheaval, NU.nl reported, with travellers complaining about packed trains in the hours following the absence of services between 6am and 8am.