Commuters travelling to London could face disruption to train services after staff at Britain's biggest railway stations began balloting for strike action today.

Around 400 platform guards and station managers at 17 stations, including Paddington, are to be balloted by the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers and the Transport Salaried Staffs Association in a dispute over pay and conditions.

A spokesman for the TSSA told the Oxford Mail that he was confident workers would vote for industrial action and warned that a series of one day rolling strikes would cause disruptions.

Staff are looking for equality in pay between all major stations and for guarantees that there will be no compulsory job losses during a Network Rail organisation.

Network Rail said back-up measures were in place to ensure stations would stay open.