A planned rail strike has been put on hold after the unions involved suspended their walk-out plans.

The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) and the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), had planned to walk out from 5pm, on Monday, May 25 - causing havoc as Liverpool hosts Cunard's 175th birthday celebrations.

But both have put strike plans on hold this afternoon after they received a new offer from Network Rail.

Merseyrail said a revised timetable is still in place for Cunard's Three Queens event.

From 1pm on bank holiday Monday, all Northern line trains will not stop at Liverpool Central station. All Northern line passengers must use Moorfields station.

At the same time James Street station will close. Wirral line passengers can use Liverpool Central or Lime Street low level station.

A rail replacement bus will run between Ellesmere Port & Hooton.

All trains on the Northern line will run at a 20-minute frequency from start to end of service.

The strike was called off after officials from both unions spent the last four days in talks with Network Rail at the conciliation service Acas.

In a letter to RMT members on the union's website, the group's General Secretary Mick Cash wrote that Network Rail has tabled a revised offer.

"Your Executive Committee has considered this offer and decided to suspend all industrial action which had been scheduled to take place on Monday 25th May and Tuesday 26th May 2015.

"The suspension of the action will give your Executive Committee an opportunity to hold urgent consultations with your Area Council Representatives next week.

"Further information with regards to the revised offer will be sent to you in due course.

"Please work your shifts, overtime and all other additional hours as normal next week."

A newsflash on Northern Rail's website said: "The planned industrial action has been suspended.

"All Northern Rail services will operate as normal on Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 May."

Cunard welcomed the suspension of the threatened national rail strikes as the shipping company was putting the finishing touches to its plans for the Three Queens on the Mersey event on Bank Holiday Monday.

Cunard Director Angus Struthers said: "It's a great relief to know that the rail strike is suspended and that the crowds who we know are looking forward to seeing the Three Queens in Liverpool on Bank Holiday Monday can now make their travel plans with confidence.

"The Three Queens event involves the biggest ships ever to manoeuvre together on the Mersey performing a ‘river dance’ in front of the Three Graces, on Liverpool’s historic waterfront, to celebrate Cunard’s 175th anniversary year.

"It’s promising to be the biggest event on the Mersey for decades and we are delighted to know that the many people who feel a connection with Cunard will be able to travel in and out of Liverpool without disruption on the day.

"We are looking forward to weIcoming the Three Queens into our spiritual home in just a few days.  The fleet is not only coming – it will very soon be here!”