All the latest news from the rail strikes

Rail passengers have experienced the first of several days of travel chaos as union members strike in a bitter dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.

Around 40,000 members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union at Network Rail and 13 train operators walked out.

Knock-on delays and disruption are expected on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

It is thought to be the biggest outbreak of industrial action on the railways for a generation, with just one in five trains running on strike days, mainly on main lines and only for about 11 hours.

6.30pm

The largest rail strike for a generation caused severe disruption on Tuesday, with more cancellations happening on Wednesday.

Many passengers’ journeys took several hours longer than normal, while those who chose to travel by car instead were greeted by a surge in traffic.

Just a fifth of trains ran on Tuesday and half of all lines were closed.

The chaos will continue on Wednesday, with only 60% of trains running, mainly due to a delay to the start of services as signallers and control room staff are not doing overnight shifts.

Talks between the RMT, Network Rail and train companies will resume on Wednesday.

6.06pm

Vauxhall railway station was quiet amid the strike action.

Although a service to Waterloo still ran every 15 minutes, the platforms had only a few commuters waiting.

Hospital food supply worker Marie, from Chingford, Essex, told the PA news agency she was forced to walk for 40 minutes from Liverpool Street to Waterloo on Tuesday morning.

“On a day like today it’s OK, but it’s not ideal is it?”

“We can’t go on strike just at the drop of a hat so I don’t have any sympathy.”

She said she did not know how she was going to get home: “Now I’m in a hurry to get home because the trains aren’t running the other way and I don’t know how I’m going to get home.”

5.52pm

The usually bustling commuter hub, which was eerily quiet during the day, became slightly busier during the evening rush hour as people boarded trains on the branch towards Windsor or Southampton.

One man could be heard saying: “Nobody knows how to walk”, as he rushed through the crowd on his way towards a platform.

The roads have been busier today, according to figures, and photographs show traffic in the capital.

5.43pm

The disruption will continue tomorrow, even though it isn’t a strike day.

5.39pm

We’re at the height of rush hour and many will be making their way home via alternative methods.

Fewer than four in 10 adults are supportive of the rail workers’ strike, while more than four in 10 said they opposed the action, according to polling firm YouGov.

The poll of 2,516 adults published on Tuesday afternoon suggested two-thirds (66%) of those aged 65 and above were opposed to the action, compared to almost half (48%) of those aged 18 to 24 supporting the strikes.

Some three in five (60%) also said they were opposed to suggestions of closing manned ticket offices at most railway stations.

5.17pm

Clapham Junction station in south-west London – usually one of the busiest train hubs in the country – remained quiet ahead of the evening rush-hour.

Dozens of people were waiting on chairs on platforms and walkways for trains, which are running at a reduced service to a limited number of destinations.

A Tannoy announcement every few minutes reminded passengers to travel only if “absolutely necessary”.

Outside the station, traffic was flowing normally and bus stations were relatively empty.

Traffic on the roads was busy as commuters tried to find other ways to travel to and from work.

Pictures show Jubilee line trains parked at the London Underground Stratford Market Depot in London.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said the turnout at picket lines “has been fantastic and exceeded expectations”.

— RMT (@RMTunion) June 21, 2022

4.36pm

Carla Denyer, co-leader of the Green Party, said the Government “provoked this strike as part of their politics of division”.

4.34pm

Conservative MP for Southend West, Anna Firth, says exam boards AQA and Edexcel “are not accepting the strikes as mitigation for exams” and that “no student should have their education disrupted like this”.

She said the strikes “have caused unacceptable levels of disruption to people throughout the country”.

4.15pm

Services at Shenfield in Essex are affected by a problem on the line.

National Rail said disruption is expected until 6pm.

3.56pm

As we head towards the evening rush hour, Green MP Caroline Lucas has also urged Transport Secretary Grant Shapps to “get round the table” with unions bosses and negotiate.

3.52pm

The Prime Minister says the strikes are “so wrong and unnecessary” and that the Government supported railway workers during the pandemic.

3.48pm

A London pub boss says he is facing as much as a 25% plunge in sales as rail strikes hammer hospitality firms.

Clive Watson, founder of City Pub Group, said it is “barely worth opening” some sites near train stations, due to the impact of industrial action on Tuesday, Thursday June 23 and Saturday June 25.

He said: “We have seen events cancelled in droves and really weak bookings in a lot of places,” he said.

“It’s early days but I think we are expecting trade to be 20% to 25% down this week.”

3.39pm

Most people surveyed by YouGov are against this week’s strikes. Some 2,516 British adults were surveyed on the issue on Tuesday.

3.33pm

Neil Bibby, transport spokesman for Labour’s leader in Scotland Anas Sarwar, said he visited a picket line to listen to workers’ concerns – something he says Transport Secretary Grant Shapps “hasn’t once bothered to do”.

3.29pm

The chief executive of Live – the voice of the UK’s live music business – said the industry “cannot take” the impact of ongoing train strikes.

Jon Collins told the PA news agency: “This is one of the biggest weekends of the year for live music fans, with Glastonbury and British Summer Time (festivals) both taking place for the first time in three years due to the pandemic.

“However, fans and staff now face severe delays and potential safety risks as they are forced to choose alternative routes.

“On top of this week, any additional action will have hugely negative impacts on a sector that is already on a cliff-edge.”

3.25pm

Pupils have described their anxiety over getting to school for A-level and GCSE exams during the rail strikes.

The major industrial action is clashing with some exams set for Tuesday and Thursday.

The Department for Education has said exams are not expected to be rescheduled.

Johnny, 49, from the Westminster area of London, and who did not want to give his surname, said he will drive his son the 25 miles to school instead, setting out at around 6am to make sure he arrives on time.

A Department for Education spokesman said: “We recognise how concerning these strikes will be for students – particularly for those sitting GCSEs and A-levels.

“We know schools and colleges will draw on their existing contingency arrangements already in place to manage any possible disruption,” they added.

3.17pm

Labour MP for Sheffield Heeley and shadow secretary of state for transport, Louise Haigh, has called on her Government counterpart to sit down and talk with the unions to “resolve this dispute”.

3.13pm

Britain’s train services will continue to be disrupted on Wednesday due to the knock-on effects of Tuesday’s strike.

Only around 60% of the 20,000 normal weekday services will be able to operate.

Walkouts by signallers and control room staff who would usually work overnight from Tuesday night into Wednesday morning means trains will leave depots later than normal, delaying the start of services.

No passenger services will run before 6.30am.

3.02pm

Labour’s leader in Scotland expressed “solidarity” with striking rail workers as he visited a picket line following a warning from the UK party leader that frontbenchers should refrain from doing so.

Anas Sarwar and his transport spokesman Neil Bibby visited RMT members at Edinburgh Waverley.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer reportedly ordered frontbenchers not to join picket lines at train stations as the country faces its biggest rail strike in a generation.

A leaked memo revealed frontbenchers were told to “show leadership” by the Labour leader’s office.

It added: “And to that end, please be reminded that frontbenchers including [parliamentary private secretaries] should not be on the picket lines.

“Please speak to all the members of your team to remind them of this and confirm with me that you have done so.”

But Mr Sarwar has taken a different approach north of the border.

“This is a crisis entirely of the Government’s making.

“The workers don’t want strikes. The unions don’t want strikes. The public don’t want strikes.

“They demand better.”

2.58pm

Dee Corsi, chief operating operator at New West End Company, which represents 600 retail, restaurant, hotel and property owners across central London, said the strikes are expected to bring London’s West End, and the wider country, to a “grinding halt”.

She said: “This will be a particular blow for commuters reliant on these services to get into the capital and other city centres for work, and retail and hospitality businesses that are already struggling with rising costs and staffing shortages.

“These strikes will hit our retail and leisure destinations at a time when they should be making the most of our first restriction-free summer since 2019.”

2.47pm

Ex-chancellor Ken Clarke told The World At One: “If the pay settlement is 10, 11% then you’re going to have vast amounts of the public sector induced to going for the same militancy, the same strike action in order to demand at least the same.”

2.40pm

Writer Ana Leorne says today’s disruption is the aim of the strike – not simply a byproduct of it.

2.29pm

Emma Best, the leader of Waltham Forest Conservatives, says the strike will make it “harder to negotiate a good deal for union members”.

2.24pm

Footfall in central London to 1pm today was 27% lower than last Tuesday and in city centres outside of the capital it was down by 11.2%, retail analysts Springboard said.

In contrast, footfall in outer London and market towns was less impacted, down 6.2% and 2% respectively, reflecting increasing numbers of people working from home, it said.

Diane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard, said: “The impact of train and Tube strikes today on footfall is very clear to see, with a large proportion of people clearly working from home.”

Plymouth Sutton and Devonport MP, Luke Pollard, has called on Government ministers to sit down with RMT chiefs.

2.15pm

Elliot Eniton, 28, from Plumstead, south-east London, said the strike doubled his journey from Hertfordshire to his home.

He said: “Connections have been really, really poor.

“It’s always stressful making all these connections.

“Usually it takes me about an hour and 30 minutes but now I’m looking at three hours right now – double.”