The Polish government promised an extra £100million for the railways after workers went on strike and blocked the tracks.

The government backtracked on 19 December 2003 when
thousands of passengers were delayed for hours as railway workers stood across tracks at six major stations, stopping passenger and freight trains.

The workers called off the action after parliament voted to add the additional funds to the £200million already in next year's budget to subsidise the state-owned railway.

More than 500 train services have been cut in recent years and Prime Minister Leszek Miller had been pushing ahead with further reductions as part of his drive to "reform" the economy ahead of Poland joining the European Union in May.

Union spokesman Leszek Mietek said a hunger strike, begun by about 100 workers last week, will continue as the union presses the government for the restoration of further subsidies and to drop the plan for cuts.

The union has threatened a general strike if its demands are not met.

Infrastructure Minister Marek Pol said the government had now agreed to halt the majority of the cuts but could not guarantee no cuts at all.

Information from AP