With barely 20% of trains expected to run on Wednesday, the most recent wave of nationwide rail strikes has begun.
Over money, jobs, and terms, some 40,000 RMT union members at Network Rail and 14 train companies are striking.
The RMT, according to the Department for Transport, is “hell-bent on causing extra agony for passengers across the UK.”
However, the RMT claimed that Transport Secretary Grant Shapps had prevented the rail sector from reaching a settlement with the union.
Despite its best attempts to reach a compromise, Network Rail CEO Andrew Haines predicted that strikes will continue to interrupt rail service.
Along with RMT members, Wednesday will also see a strike by the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) at Avanti West Coast, which runs certain trains to Birmingham.
According to Network Rail
the consequences of the disruption should start to show evident on Thursday.
Separately, some 5,500 members of the Aslef train drivers’ union at seven rail firms will go on protest on Saturday.
London Underground employees want to protest on August 19, and more RMT actions are scheduled for August 18 and August 20.
The RMT union had been encouraged to end the strikes by the Prime Minister’s official spokesman, who had stated on Tuesday that he was “concerned” about how it would affect the public moving about their daily lives.
In some locations, such as Blackpool, Portsmouth, and Bournemouth, there are no train services at all, while in other locations, passengers are advised to take the train only when absolutely essential.
Trains are scheduled to run between 07:00 and 18:30 BST on Wednesday, according to a modified timetable released by Network Rail.
The last trains from London will depart for Edinburgh at 14:00, Birmingham at 15:43, and Manchester at 15:40, passengers are cautioned.
