Britain is facing the prospect of a co-ordinated rail strike paralysing train services across the country at the end of this month.

In the next two weeks the RMT union will receive the results of strike ballots at Silverlink, London Underground and Docklands Light Railway and is preparing to hold ballots at every company where the pay between drivers and guards has widened.

Alex Gordon, a member of the RMT executive and a close associate of the leading contender for the post of general secretary, Bob Crow, said the union did not want the strikes "to drag on" and was "prepared to escalate it" to secure victory.

Postal workers are also expected to announce a national strike over pay tomorrow.