COMMUTERS between Settle and Carlisle could be forced to go without their hot drinks and snacks as furious staff ramp up their redundancy fight by balloting for strike action.

Catering services on the picturesque Cumbrian line are run by the not-for-profit Settle and Carlisle Railway Development Company partnership, rather than operator Northern Rail or contractor.

The partnership — set up after the line was twice threatened with closure — has opted to scrap the job of a long-standing member of staff.

Rail union RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “Astonishingly the company has cited potential rail franchise changes in 2016 as a reason [for the redundancy].

“But the specifications for the rail franchises will not be known until December 2014, and the franchises will not actually be let for some considerable time afterwards.”

The union said it was available for further talks.