Britain's rail network will be brought to a standstill twice over the coming months following a vote by train workers for strike action.

Members of the RMT voted "overwhelmingly" for industrial action which will go ahead on June 25 and July 4.

The action is in protest at a decision by Railtrack to transfer responsibility for train safety from guards to train drivers.

The proposed strikes, which would hit all but three of Britain's train operating companies, will represent the first major test for the new minister for transport. John Spellar.

He, along with the new secretary of state for transport, local government the regions, Stephen Byers, will now face calls to sit down with the unions and the train operating companies in a bid to broker a deal before June 24.

The RMT is also fighting a rearguard action against attempts to remove guards from some trains altogether. A spokesman for the union said it was not an issue of "pay" but was about the "erosion of guard duties".