And you thought TODAY was bad! Millions face another battle to work tomorrow with less than a QUARTER of trains running after unions confirm second day of strikes... and now Met Office issues 14-HOUR storm warning

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Mick Lynch's militant RMT has declared that tomorrow's rail strikes will go ahead from midnight, in a move that condemns millions of commuters, patients and students to misery, undermines Boris Johnson's anti-WFH push, and delivers yet another hammerblow to Britain's flailing economy.

The hardline union is launching the second of its three mass walkouts over pay after fresh talks with National Rail today collapsed yet again.

Just 20% of the 20,000 services which normally run over three days will be in service over the three strike days, with almost all stations across Scotland and Wales completely cut off, no services to Penzance, Bournemouth and Blackpool, and no passenger trains running from Glasgow or Edinburgh.

Though Tube operators are not going on strike tomorrow, it is likely that TfL Underground and Overground services will be disrupted again tomorrow.

And in a further blow, the Met Office has warned that thunderstorms are set to sweep across much of Britain, from Sheffield in the North, across the South East, and down to Bath in the South West - meaning that Glasto revellers could be caught in torrential downpours. Together with tomorrow's rail strike, it is likely the storms will cause poor driving conditions and floodwater on roads, potentially causing danger to life, and even a chance of further rail and bus cancellations.

In a tub-thumping statement, Lynch - a firebrand inspired by Thatcher's arch-nemesis Arthur Scargill - accused Transport Secretary Grant Shapps of 'wrecking these negotiations by not allowing Network Rail to withdraw their letter threatening redundancy for 2,900 of our members'.

In turn, the Cabinet minister branded Lynch a liar and claimed the RMT was 'deflecting from the fact that the only people responsible for the massive public disruption this week is them'.

He added: 'I have had absolutely nothing to do with either the issuing of a letter from Network Rail, the employer, to the RMT - or any request to withdraw it.

'I understand that the letter makes no mention of 2,900 redundancies, but I do know it confirmed Network Rail would be introducing desperately needed reforms for the industry after the union chose strike action instead of further talks.

'The RMT continues to deflect from the fact that the only people responsible for the massive public disruption this week is them. I want to urge Mick Lynch and his members to stop wasting time making false claims in the media and instead return to the negotiating table so an agreement can be reached.'

The biggest strikes in 30 years will now force millions of people to either battle into the office or WFH again. Footfall on UK high streets today was nearly 2% lower than yesterday, according to data from retail traffic counter Springboard shared with MailOnline. Yesterday eerie photos showed town and city centres including central London and Birmingham completely deserted, in scenes reminiscent of the 'darkest days of Covid' when whole swathes of the economy were devastated by lockdown .

Lynch's strikes have come at a dreadful time for the crippled hospitality sector, which has been struggling to get back on its feet after two years of Covid restrictions. Experts believe the mass walkouts this week will cost the sector £540million alone, as UKHospitality's chief executive Kate Nicholls warned: 'It's a very fragile industry that cannot withstand this type of economic shock. For many businesses, this will push them closer towards the edge of viability.'

Today rail companies have been cancelling services and have urged commuters to stay at home tomorrow. Chiltern Railways said it has scrapped the 1.05pm Aylesbury Vale Parkway to London Marylebone, while Greater Anglia cancelled the 2.28pm Felixstowe to Ipswich. Rail company c2c shelved its 2.04pm London Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness and warned that it would not be operating services between and 8am tomorrow due to the mass walkouts. And Stansted Express announced it had axed its 4.42pm service to London Liverpool Street, due to a 'fault on the train'.

Earlier, massive crowds formed queues outside shuttered Tube stations during rush hour because militant workers who were on strike until midnight were late to work.

And in a move likely to pile the pressure on 'hiding' Keir Starmer, Labour-controlled Merseyrail has announced that it had agreed a 7% pay rise with the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) - a sign that rail companies are bowing to the demands of union barons.

The Labour leader's authority is being tested after several of his MPs defied the party whip and 'held hands with Scargill' on the picket line yesterday.

At Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Johnson excoriated Sir Keir's 'picket party' and accused Labour of 'backing strikers, not strivers'. He told the Commons: 'We know why he [Sir Keir] won't condemn the strikes, we know why even now he hasn't got the gumption to call out his MPs for going out to support the pickets. The reason his authority is on the line in this matter is that they take £10million... that's the fee the learned gentleman opposite is receiving for the case he is failing to make.'

It comes as Trades Union Congress general secretary Frances O'Grady accused ministers of 'spoiling for a fight' with workers as inflation massively outstrips pay.

As the Government braces for a standoff with the public sector that could potentially last until Christmas, it emerged today:

• Ministers today branded the strikes as 'unjustified' and insisted the Government has to 'hold the line' against 'fat cat' Lynch's militant RMT;
• Teachers are threatening to unleash 'class war' by striking in the autumn if they are not given an 'inflation plus' pay rise. Royal Mail workers yesterday demanded 'no strings, inflation-based' pay increases as they prepare to vote on industrial action;
• Labour MPs yesterday defied their leader and joined picket lines as Keir Starmer suffered a blow from the party's hard-left;
• At 84 years of age, Arthur Scargill is still militant - and joined a RMT picket line as unions we re accused of taking Britain back to the 1970s.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch on a picket line outside St Pancras station in London yesterday

KINGS CROSS STATION: Passengers arrive at Kings Cross Station in London today

WATERLOO STATION: Passengers in Waterloo Station, London today ahead of tomorrow's rail strikes

The Met Office has issued a yellow thunderstorm warning stretching from Sheffield in the North, across the South East and down to Bath in the South West, meaning Glastonbury revellers could be caught in torrential downpours. With another rail strike taking place on Thursday, it is likely the storms will add to transport issues with poor driving conditions and floodwater on roads, potentially causing danger to life. The Met Office said there is a chance of further rail and bus cancellations due to lightning strikes, with the warning in place from 10am until 11.59pm

Swathes of Tube stations failed to open at 8am as promised today as striking staff failed to return to work on time piling more misery on millions of Britons still suffering after yesterday's strike

Swathes of Tube stations failed to open at 8am as promised today as striking staff failed to return to work on time piling more misery on millions of Britons still suffering after yesterday's strike

STRATFORD: Chaos as passengers wait for the station to open in London, as train services continue to be disrupted following the nationwide strike by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union along with London Underground workers in a bitter dispute over pay, jobs and conditions

VICTORIA LINE: London commuters battle busy Tube platforms and carriages on the Victoria Line today

PADDINGTON: Passengers bound for Glastonbury Festival wait at Paddington Station in London today

NORTH LONDON: Tube trains stand at Northfields Train Depot as train strikes hit services again

BIRMINGHAM: West Midlands Railway trains parked up and unused in Smethwick today

SURBITON: Long queues at the south-west London station this morning as Britons suffered a strike hangover

Traffic was as heavy as yesterday because more people had to use their cars. There were 2,046 traffic jams in the capital this morning, covering a total length of 834 miles, and a 30 minute journey was taking an average of an hour, according to TomTom

A Rail Delivery Group spokesperson said: 'We are very disappointed that the RMT leadership has decided to go ahead with tomorrow's strikes. With passenger numbers still at only 80% of pre-pandemic levels the industry remains committed to giving a fair deal on pay while taking no more than its fair share from taxpayers.

'We can only achieve that by making improvements - like offering better services on a Sunday - that reflect the changing needs of passengers so we can attract more back. We call on the RMT leadership to continue to talk so that we can secure a thriving long-term future for the railway and its workforce.

'Our advice to passengers remains the same, only travel by rail if absolutely necessary, check before you travel and make sure you know the time of your first and last trains.'

A Network Rail spokesperson said: 'We are disappointed that the RMT have again chosen to walk away from negotiations without agreeing a deal. We remain available for talks - day or night - and will do everything we can to avoid further disruption for our passengers.

'As a result of this needless and premature strike, rail services tomorrow will look much like they did on Tuesday - starting later in the morning and finishing much earlier in the evening (around 6.30pm).

'We are asking passengers to please check before you travel, be conscious of when your last available train is departing, and only travel by train if necessary.'

Mick Whelan, general secretary of Aslef, said of the Greater Anglia strike: 'Strike action is always the last resort but many of our members have not had a pay rise since 2019. We will fight to maintain the pay, terms and conditions, and the pensions of our members.

'The train companies are doing very nicely, thank you, out of Britain's railways - with handsome profits, dividends for shareholders, and big salaries for managers - and train drivers are not prepared to work longer for less.

'We are suffering the same lies from the Government as the other rail unions. Companies are saying their hands are tied by the Government and Grant Shapps is saying it's up to the employers.

'Well, why should we subsidise the privateers that made money whilst we had no pay rises and now make money out of so-called 'modernisation', which is just another lie.

'They want us to give 'productivity' to help keep their shareholders in profit. It is clear to us that the Government, and the train companies, really have only contempt for those who risked their lives to keep this country moving during Covid.'

This morning, tempers flared at Paddington, Stratford, King's Cross/St Pancras and more than a dozen other sites across the capital, while commuters tweeted TfL demanding to know why their local stations were not open at 8am as promised. Others posted pictures of empty Tube trains with no drivers, while those who managed to get onto trains found services were few and far between - and rammed.

Four hours later, there were still big problems across TfL services, with delays and part suspensions on the Circle and District Lines, the Hammersmith & City Line, the Metropolitan Line, the Piccadilly Line, and the London Overground. After a skeleton service yesterday, trains are in the wrong place and only 60% of the 20,000 normal weekday services will be able to operate today.

Traffic was as heavy as yesterday because more people had to use their cars. There were 2,046 traffic jams in London this morning, covering a total length of 834 miles, and a 30-minute journey was taking an average of an hour, according to traffic data analyst TomTom. Commuters again jostled on to packed buses, driving or cycling to the office or school during the biggest strike in 30 years.

Meanwhile, the human cost of the walkouts was laid bare after an NHS patient had to pay £165 for taxi from Portsmouth to London to get to his heart surgery.

Graham Benton, a 48-year-old former rowing champion, said: 'The stress around whether the procedure would or wouldn't go ahead and then the hassle and cost of getting there has been very stressful. I suffer from health anxiety due to my father's early death and my own heart issues so the possibility it wasn't going to go ahead soon was upsetting.'

Passengers are being told not to expect a 'normal service' until mid-morning because transport staff - including signallers and control room officers - did not work their overnight shifts in a bid to resolve a bitter dispute over jobs, pay and conditions.

Many have been forced to walk or cycle or jump in a cab, with Uber journeys surging to roughly three times the price as desperate workers scramble to get to the office. 

Today a four mile journey in London, usually costing £13, cost passengers around £41. And the App Drivers & Couriers Union (ADCU) – the union for private hire drivers and couriers – has now called for a 24-hour national strike for Uber drivers from midnight.

Today is a 24-hour partial reprieve until the strikes resume tomorrow and again on Saturday. While the railway network is meant to be operational, commuters have been hit for the second day running.

The RMT will meet with National Rail and the train companies today in another attempt to break the deadlock.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said the turnout at picket lines on Tuesday was 'fantastic' and had exceeded expectations in the union's campaign for job security, defending conditions and a decent pay rise.

He said: 'Our members will continue the campaign and have shown outstanding unity in the pursuit of a settlement to this dispute.

'RMT members are leading the way for all workers in this country who are sick and tired of having their pay and conditions slashed by a mixture of big business profits and Government policy.

'Now is the time to stand up and fight for every single railway worker in this dispute that we will win.'

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: 'These are desperately needed reforms that modernise the railway and put it on a sustainable footing for passengers and taxpayers.

'Unions have shut down big parts of the rail network, hitting local businesses and unfairly cutting people off from hospitals, schools and work.

'However, early data shows that unlike in the past, many people now have the opportunity to work from home, so we haven't even a rush to the roads, as traffic has instead gone online, which means the unions aren't having the overall impact they might have hoped.'

The union has been asked by Network Rail to attend formal consultation talks next month on introducing 'modern working practices'.

Network Rail official Tim Shoveller said the changes will mean 'dumping outdated working practices and introducing new technology'.

He added: 'We expect this will reduce roles by around 1,800, the vast majority of which will be lost through voluntary severance and natural wastage.'

It comes as Tory backbencher Tobias Ellwood claimed that the strikes would only benefit Putin's brutal war in Ukraine.

KINGSTON: The rammed A3 into London as commuters faced disruption and warm temperatures

CLAPHAM JUNCTION: Busy platforms after the strike yesterday, with disruption to continue for six days

EUSTON: Passengers wait for the first trains at around 7am this morning as disruption from yesterday's strikes continue today

EDGWARE ROAD: Traffic remains heavy today after people were forced into their cars because of a lack of trains

SOUTH LONDON: Long queues of traffic in the capital as people struggle to work or take their children to school this morning

CLAPHAM JUNCTION: Commuters force themselves on to buses as they try to get to work in a strike week

GLASTO: Festivalgoers arrive at Worthy Farm for the start of Glastonbury 2022 after their journeys were disrupted. Thousands have arrived early

SOUTH LONDON: A sole train heads towards Waterloo on a day where commuters were warned that it would be 'messy' for them today

Speaking to Sky News, the MP said: 'We face huge economic headwinds yet here we are causing such huge self-harm as the country is brought to a halt. I think Russia must be enjoying this self-inflicted distraction, pleased to see that the one government in Europe which is actually standing up to Putin is completely distracted in this way. 

'I do hope the unions now call off future planned strikes... this isn't just disrupting commuters, including key workers, but students as well and indeed the hospitality sector as well...

'I say to the unions, please don't be Putin's friend, return to the talks today so we can get the country moving again.'

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has branded the railway workers' strikes as 'unjustified'.

Speaking at a visit to St George's Hospital on Wednesday, he said: 'Well, I think, and I hope actually that the rail workers are quite unique in how they've responded to higher inflation because I think their strike is just just completely unjustified.

'It is right that we look to modernise our rail services, it is right we take into account perhaps the longer term impacts of the pandemic with the changing patterns of the way people work.

'I think people recognise also that during the pandemic, the Government put in billions of pounds, I think, some £16billion of extra support for the rail industry. That's something like £600 per family in the UK. But that can't be continued.

'We need to recognise this and make a changes and think this strike is unjustified and it's hurting a lot of people, particularly people trying to get to hospital for their appointments and also you have NHS staff trying to get to the hospitals to help them.'

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab said the Government had to 'hold the line' against the RMT's demands for improved pay and conditions on the railways.

The Justice Secretary said the strikes were 'deeply regrettable' and reform was necessary on the railways.

He told LBC Radio: 'We've, of course, got to reform the way the railways operate, given the new ways to working on the effect that has on commuter travel. But there are also old practices, which frankly, are well out of date and unnecessary, which need to be reformed.'

He added: 'I think Network Rail are taking the right approach. We know that the cost of living challenge is there, we know that it affects workers across the board.

'But the one thing that will keep inflation higher for longer and undermine pay packets for longer is if we have spiralling public sector pay increases beyond what is responsible. And that's what's at issue here.

'It is precisely to protect the wages of those on the lowest incomes that we need to hold the line.'

He told Sky News that rising inflation figures show the need for pay restraint in the public sector and on the railways.

'We are facing a global struggle against inflation, if you look at the UK figures they are broadly comparable to the US or, in Europe, the Dutch and the Belgians, and it's going to be difficult.

'We really do understand the pressure that those on low incomes are facing at the moment, they are struggling to make ends meet.'

Setting out why public sector pay could not keep pace with inflation, he added: 'If we don't have those restraints, inflation will go higher for longer. And that will only undermine the pay packages of workers, particularly the most vulnerable workers, for a longer period of time.

'We're taking the action, we're taking a firm line with, for example, the RMT union, precisely because we want to protect this erosion of pay packets by inflation.'

Most adults believe the rail strikes are justified, according to an opinion poll.

A survey of more than 2,300 people by Savanta ComRes showed that 58% said the industrial action is justified.

Younger adults aged 18-34 (72%) and Labour voters (79%) were more likely to see the strikes as justified compared to their older, aged 55 and above, (44%) and Conservative-voting (38%) counterparts.

Three out of five of those polled said they are generally supportive of the principle of industrial action, while just 35% were generally opposed.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the public on notice for further strike action as Downing Street said it would 'not give in' to demands from the rail unions.

Mr Johnson warned commuters they must be ready to 'stay the course' and urged rail bosses and unions to agree on a modernisation package to safeguard the future of the industry.

Train services will continue to be disrupted on Wednesday by this week's rail strikes as talks resume in a bid to resolve a bitter dispute over jobs, pay and conditions.

Fewer than one in five trains ran on Tuesday after members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) on Network Rail (NR) and 13 train operators staged the first of three walkouts, with strikes set to follow on Thursday and Saturday.

RMT members on London Underground also went on strike on Tuesday.

Fears of a wider general strike are growing. 

Teachers' unions are now warning staff will be urged to strike in the autumn if they aren't given an 'inflation plus' pay rise.

The National Education Union (NEU) said pay cuts and high workload were hitting teacher recruitment and retention, causing 'real damage' to education.

It criticised the Government's evidence to the School Teachers' Review Body proposing a 3% pay increase for most teachers in England, which it said would mean a 'huge' pay cut on the basis of Wednesday's inflation figures of 9.1% on the CPI measure and 11.7% for RPI.

In a letter to Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi, the union called for a fully funded inflation-plus pay increase for all teachers, as well as action on pay for other staff such as support workers, as well as measures to reduce workloads.

Graham Benton, a 48-year-old former rowing champion, paid £165 for a taxi at 5.30am from Portsmouth to central London for a heart operation because of the strikes.

CLAPHAM JUNCTION: One of the UK's busiest stations was deserted this morning as train services slowly fire up

MARBLE ARCH: Tube stations across the capital are closed this morning, with passengers being told not to expect a 'normal service' until mid-morning

CLAPHAM JUNCTION: The station is still closed this morning following the biggest rail strike in three decades

Red line: Labour MPs at London's Victoria station yesterday, from left: 1. Beth Winter (Cynon Valley), 2. Kim Johnson (Liverpool Riverside), 3. Rachael Maskell (York Central), 4. Ian Mearns (Gateshead), 5. Richard Burgon (Leeds East), 6. Zarah Sultana (Coventry South), 7. Ian Byrne (Liverpool West Derby), 8. Rebecca Long-Bailey (Salford and Eccles), 9. Dan Carden (Liverpool Walton), 10. Paula Barker (Liverpool Wavertree)

Former president of the National Union of Mineworkers Arthur Scargill joined members of the RMT union on the picket line outside Wakefield Railway Station today

The minister was told that teacher pay has fallen by a fifth in real terms since 2010, even before this year's increases in inflation, while their workload remains at 'unsustainable' levels.

The letter says: 'Alongside the decline in teacher pay in real terms against inflation, it has also declined in relative terms against earnings.

'Average teacher salaries are at their lowest level compared to average earnings across the economy in over 40 years.

'Teachers and school leaders often tell us that workload is their predominant concern.

'But right now, our members are telling us pay is a big issue too.

'The combination of unsustainable hours, the work intensity during those hours and ever-falling pay levels are damaging our schools and the young people we are educating.

'Teachers are looking at their working hours and their pay and calculating hourly rates, which are alarmingly low.

'The latest teacher training figures are very worrying; applications have fallen by 24% compared with last year.

'One in eight newly qualified teachers left the job in their first year of teaching.

'These young people have often finished a degree, then completed a postgraduate qualification.

'They are a great loss to the profession, but more importantly to the nation's pupils who rely on their teachers to educate and care for them.

'You must respond to the new economic reality of double-digit inflation and the threat this poses to teacher living standards.

'We call on you to commit to an inflation-plus increase for all teachers.

'It is not good enough to only propose higher increases for beginner teachers (which are themselves likely to be lower than inflation).

'The current inaction from the Government on these questions is causing real damage to education and to our members' livelihoods.

'We have to tell you that failing sufficient action by you, in the autumn term, we will consult our members on their willingness to take industrial action.

'And we will be strongly encouraging them to vote yes.

'We can no longer stand by while you run both education and educators into the ground.'

It comes as Royal Mail workers have demanded a 'no strings, inflation-based' pay rise as they prepare to vote on industrial action. 

Terry Pullinger, CWU deputy general secretary, pictured here in 2016, said the union would ballot 115,000 members over potential strike action. Mary Bousted, general secretary of the National Education Union, said more than 450,000 teachers are considering industrial action if they are not given a pay rise of up to 12 per cent

Unite West Midlands shared a picture on Twitter yesterday morning of workers gathered outside Coventry station this morning waving the green flags of Lynch's RMT union and a red National Education Union banner

A striking RMT member standing in front of a red RMT banner at Nottingham Train Station holding copies of the Socialist Worker. The paper splash reads: 'Together we can win. Strike to beat Tories. Back the rail worker'

TUC chief Frances O'Grady warned that strikes will spread across the country unless workers get 'pay justice'.

She said Mr Clarke's comments made a mockery of Boris Johnson's pledge to build a 'high wage economy'.

She added: 'Working families struggling to pay their bills have earned a decent pay rise. When will we hear the government calling for restraint in the boardroom and on profits?'

The Communication Workers Union (CWU) says it will ballot 115,000 Royal Mail workers over potential strike action in a row over pay, saying that a two per cent pay increase offered by the company is 'totally inadequate'. 

Terry Pullinger, CWU deputy general secretary accused Royal Mail management of conducting themselves 'insultingly and disrespectfully to key workers', but Royal Mail said it had offered the biggest pay increase 'for many years'.

The union will send out ballot papers on June 28, with the result becoming known next month.

It comes as unions demand inflation-matching pay increases and promises that staff will not be made redundant in what is becoming a 'Summer of discontent'. 

In scenes that mirror those seen in the 1980s, thousands of workers led by militant union bosses have walked out of their jobs to demand higher wages and no job cuts. 

So far millions of commuters have been left in the lurch as 50,000 RMT workers went on strike, and are set to do so again on Thursday and Saturday.  

The news today that Royal Mail workers are considering going on strike was broken by Mr Pullinger in a video posted on Twitter. In it he said: 'Today we will be serving a notice on Royal Mail Group over a pay claim - our claim for an inflation-based, no-strings pay award.

'The company has imposed a 2% pay award, miles away from where inflation is, totally inadequate. 

'Throughout this entire dispute, Royal Mail management have conducted themselves insultingly and disrespectfully to key workers.

'Their conduct, and particularly the imposition of such an aggressive pay offer, has eroded trust among loyal employees. Nobody wants to be in this situation, but our members are heroes. We will defend ourselves if provoked - and we are convinced we will receive our biggest ever Yes vote for action.'

CWU general-secretary Dave Ward said: 'Our members have been treated in a completely undignified manner by the people they make incredible profits for.

'Our members kept this country connected throughout our country's greatest crisis since World War Two, and many paid the ultimate sacrifice. Now, they are being told there's nothing for them, and they have to accept having less while the mega profits of bosses come first. The state of affairs is unjust and unsustainable, and I have no doubt that our 115,000 members will stand strong against it and deliver a historic vote for action.'

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: 'We believe there are no grounds for industrial action. We offered a deal worth up to 5.5% for CWU grade colleagues, the biggest increase we have offered for many years, which was rejected by the CWU.'

When are the train and Tube strikes this week, how long do they last, can I get a season ticket refund and how will Glastonbury be affected? Vital Q&A on the RMT walkouts

What dates are the rail strikes taking place?

A national rail strike is being held by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union today (June 21), Thursday (June 23) and Saturday (June 25) which will affect the entire UK rail network.

The action involves members of the RMT at Network Rail and 13 operators. It will also have a knock-on effort on services on the three days after each strike day - tomorrow (June 22), Friday (June 24) and Sunday (June 26).

Separately, another strike is being held by the RMT and Unite on London Underground today (June 21) which will affect services until 8am tomorrow (June 22). Most Underground services should be unaffected after then. 

There is also a strike by Aslef on Greater Anglia trains on Thursday (June 23) and Croydon Tramlink on June 28 and June 29, and on July 13 and July 14). An Aslef strike on Hull Trains on Sunday (June 26) has been called off.

Which UK operators are affected by the rail strike?

Just 20 per cent of normal services are expected to run on the three strike days. Every UK rail operator will be affected by the action, with most running a limited service between 7.30am and 6.30pm on these days. 

These operators running a limited service on the strike days are: Avanti West Coast, c2c, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Eurostar, Grand Central, Great Northern, Great Western Railway, Greater Anglia, Heathrow Express, Hull Trains, LNER, London Northwestern Railway, Lumo, Northern, ScotRail, South Western Railway, Southeastern, Southern, Stansted Express, Thameslink, TransPennine Express, Transport for Greater Manchester, Transport for Wales and West Midlands Railway.

Three operators say they will have no service on strike days – those being Gatwick Express, Caledonian Sleeper and Merseyrail. The only unaffected area is the Isle of Wight where the Island Line will run a normal service.

In London, the national rail strike means there will be a reduced service on the Overground and Elizabeth line on the three strike days. And the separate Tube strike today cancelled almost all Underground trains. 

Why is the rail strike taking place?

The strikes involve a row over pay, jobs and conditions. The RMT wants pay rises for workers that recognise the RPI rate of inflation, which is currently 11.1 per cent, and a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies.

The union has claimed that Network Rail plans to cut jobs and reduce spending – with an impact on safety. It says that it is striking 'due to the inability of the rail employers to come to a negotiated settlement with RMT'. 

The RMT claims Network Rail and train operators have 'subjected their staff to multi-year pay freezes and plan to cut thousands of jobs', while also accusing the Government of 'abjectly failing in their responsibilities'.

But Network Rail and the Government say the union is unwilling to modernise work practices. Despite a pay freeze in 2021 – during the height of the pandemic – Network Rail has offered a rise of at least 2 per cent for 2022.

The context of the dispute is that railway bosses are proposing to make efficiency savings, especially as fewer passengers are travelling by train because of the pandemic, which has led to more people working from home. 

The Government is not involved in negotiations. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said it is up to the unions and employers to negotiate pay and conditions, but Labour and the unions believe he should be taking part in talks. 

How much do train drivers get paid?

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said last week that train drivers have a median salary of £59,000 – compared to a nurse at £31,000 and a care worker at £21,000. He said the median salary within the rail sector as a whole is £44,000. However the RMT says the median salary of a rail member in its union is £31,000 - the same as a nurse.

Are more rail strikes planned after this week? 

Yes, there is the prospect of further strike action affecting the school summer holidays - and further warnings of more walkouts for the rest of the year if no deal is reached between the unions, rail operators and Network Rail.

The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) is balloting workers at Network Rail, Southeastern, Great Western Railway, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, West Midlands Trains, Avanti West Coast, Northern, LNER and c2c.

The Southeastern ballot closes on July 11 with the earliest possible action on July 25; while the Great Western Railway ends on July 12 before any action takes place from July 26. CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway and West Midlands Trains staff will be balloted for action until July 7, but no potential date for strike action has yet been set. 

Workers at c2c, LNER and Northern will be balloted until July 6, with the earliest potential date for strike action being July 20. The Avanti West Coast ballot began last Wednesday but no date for a walkout has been released.

In addition, RMT union boss Mick Lynch this week suggested the rail strikes could stretch into the autumn, warning: 'There are going to be many unions balloting across the country, because people can't take it anymore.'

Unite is balloting about 500 British Airways check-in staff at Heathrow Airport over a refusal to reverse a 10 per cent pandemic pay cut. If workers vote in favour, strikes are likely in July – potentially ruining summer holidays.

London Waterloo Underground station is closed during the Rail, Maritime and Transport's Underground strike on June 6

Can you work from home this week during the rail strike?

Lauren Harkin, partner in the employment law team at RWK Goodman, told the publication People Management that employers should try to accommodate reasonable requests by staff trying to get into work during the strikes – including allowing them to come in late or leave early, and fund overnight accommodation if necessary.

She said: 'Don't unreasonably discipline employees who are genuinely unable to make it to work or who are late. There are no legal requirements about what businesses must do, but thinking outside the box will be a key consideration for critical staff in certain industries.'

And Alan Price, chief executive of BrightHR, said companies should speak with workers and agree alternative arrangements, adding: 'Where this isn't possible, there is the option of enforcing annual leave – with correct notice – or asking staff to use accrued time off in lieu.'

Downing Street has said employers should allow staff to work from home during the strikes if possible, but that it is up to individuals to decide whether they can get in. A spokesman said: 'As during the pandemic, it obviously remains sensible for public and private-sector organisations to offer flexible working arrangements for some jobs.'

Train operators such as Govia Thameslink Railway - which manages Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express routes - have encouraged passengers to stay at home and only travel if 'absolutely necessary'. A GTR spokesman said: 'The pandemic has given people more options to work flexibly, which will help next week.'

Can I get a refund on my train ticket during the rail strike?

National Rail has confirmed that anyone who had booked a ticket for a service which has been cancelled, delayed or rescheduled will be entitled to a change or refund from the original retailer of their ticket.

If you have a ticket for travel on a strike day, you can use this ticket either on the day before the date on the ticket, or through and including the Monday and Tuesday of next week - excluding season tickets.

However, National Rail has warned of an exception in that if your ticket is for a journey that crosses London, it will not be valid on Underground services on an alternative date. Contact your ticket provider if this applies to you.

You may be able to use your ticket on another train company or an alternative route as disruption continues, with passengers advised to contact the train company they are due to travel with for more information.

Can season ticket holders get a refund for rail strike disruption?

Season ticket holders who choose not to travel on the three strike days can claim 100 per cent compensation for these days through the 'Delay Repay' scheme via the operator you were due to be travelling with.

​​​If you have purchased a season ticket but would like a full refund due to the strike action affecting your journey, you can apply for a refund from the original retailer of your ticket, but a fee of up to £10 could apply.

National Rail added: 'Refunds are calculated from the date you return your season ticket to the original retailer and will be the difference between the price you paid, and the cost of any ticket or tickets for the period for which you have used your season ticket, up to and including the date you request a refund.'

How will the rail strike impact the economy? 

The Centre for Economics and Business Research consultancy has calculated that 0.8 per cent of staff in Britain – more than 250,000 people – will not be able to get to work today and therefore be unable to work. 

It estimates that the strikes are likely to cost the economy at least £91million in staff absences. Some £45.1million  of this will be today, because of the greater number of commuters then and the separate Tube strike. 

How will the rail strike impact Glastonbury and other events?

More than half of the trains due to serve the Glastonbury Festival have been cancelled because of the rail strikes – with tens of thousands of revellers set to be forced to find alternative routes to the site in Pilton, Somerset.

There will be just five services from London Paddington to Castle Cary on Thursday, with a total of 24 between tomorrow and Friday. Before the strike was announced, 51 trains were expected to run over the three-day period.

Great Western Railway told passengers: 'We plan to maintain timetabled trains between Castle Cary and London Paddington throughout the course of the Glastonbury Festival. Some services might be subject to alterations to train times and we will be in contact with customers who have already booked seats on board those trains.'

National Express reported 'a significant increase in both inquiries and bookings' for people wanting to travel by coach instead. Most people travelling by rail to Glastonbury arrive at Castle Cary before catching a shuttle bus.

Other events affected this week include England's cricketers playing their third Test match against New Zealand at Headingley in Leeds from June 23 to 27, and the UK Athletics Championships running from Friday in Manchester.

There will also be by-elections in Wakefield and in Tiverton and Honiton on Thursday, while Elton John and the Rolling Stones are playing BST Hyde Park gigs in London's Hyde Park on Friday and Saturday respectively.  

Commuters queue for buses outside London Victoria train station during the most recent Underground strike on June 6

How will roads be affected by the rail strike?

Motorists are being warned to expect a surge in traffic as train passengers switch to road transport. The AA said that the worst affected roads are likely to be main motorway arteries, as well as rural and suburban areas.

Drivers in Scotland and Wales are expected to face long queues as most railway lines there will be closed during the industrial action today and on Thursday and Saturday. The M74, M8 and A9 in Scotland and the M4, A55, A5, and A483 in Wales could see severe traffic, according to the AA. 

An AA spokesman said: 'Generally we predict a big increase in traffic in Scotland, Wales and major routes across the UK. The impact will be slightly cushioned by record fuel prices deterring some and more commuters deciding to work from home but congestion will still be a problem.'

How will the rail strike impact the NHS?

Thousands of Britons are likely to miss appointments or operations because they will be unable to get to hospitals and surgeries, while the walkouts will also cause problems for doctors, nurses and other staff travelling to work.

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, said it was 'vital' that people sought appointments and treatment despite the disruption, adding: 'I am urging those who have appointments booked in to plan ahead and look at alternative options for getting to their GP practice or hospital if needed.'

The biggest concern is for hospitals in London because of the limited parking available for those who decide to drive in, and the Underground strike today making it even harder to travel. Both London Ambulance Service Trust and South Central Ambulance Service Foundation Trust are now on the highest level of alert.

How will schools be affected by the rail strike?

Families of pupils sitting exams this week have been advised to make alternative arrangements for getting to school during the rail strikes, which are expected to impact 17 GCSE and 22 A-level papers.

Today, pupils sitting GCSE history or dance with exam board AQA may be impacted by the strikes, while on Thursday those sitting GCSE physics papers could be affected. A-level pupils studying German, religious studies or maths with this board could be impacted by strike action, while pupils sitting papers in A-level chemistry could experience disruptions to their journey to school on Thursday.

Headteachers have said families should look into alternative arrangements for getting their children to school to sit papers on time. Julie McCulloch, of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: 'We are concerned about the potential impact on exam students of the industrial action affecting train services planned in June.

'The majority of students live local to schools and colleges and tend to take buses rather than trains so we are hopeful that the impact will be minimal. However, it is important that families are conscious of the industrial action and make alternative arrangements where students are reliant on train services.'

Headteachers have been told to relocate A-level and GCSE papers if they cannot go ahead in the exam hall and that exams may begin up to half an hour later than scheduled to mitigate disruption.

What train services are running during the rail strike this week?

Avanti West Coast

Avanti West Coast, which runs on the West Coast Main Line, says it plans to have one train per hour from London Euston to each of Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Preston, with a limited service onwards to Glasgow.

These trains will operate during limited hours, with the first train of the day departing Euston just before 8am and the last train of the day from Euston departing mid-afternoon. The days either side of industrial action are also likely to be affected – particularly in the mornings, because services will start later.

There will be no Avanti West Coast services to North Wales, Shrewsbury, Blackpool and Edinburgh on strike days. Trains will not call at Stockport, Macclesfield, Stoke-on-Trent or Runcorn, which will all be closed.

AVANTI WEST COAST: The operator plans to run one train per hour on strike days from London Euston to each of Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and Preston, with a limited service onwards to Glasgow. The last trains will leave Euston mid-afternoon. There will be no Avanti West Coast services to North Wales, Shrewsbury, Blackpool and Edinburgh on strike days

c2c 

On the c2c route, which runs between London and Essex, the operator will be running a reduced service from 7.30am to 6.30pm, equating to less than a third of normal service levels. This will consist of:

• Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness via Laindon: Two trains per hour 
• Fenchurch Street to Pitsea via Rainham: Two trains per hour
• Ockendon or Chafford Hundred: No trains

The operator added that the days surrounding the strike action dates will also see disruption across its network, with 'services set to start running from around 6.30am with a full service planned to be in operation by 8am'. 

c2c: The operator providing services for Essex will run two trains per hour from Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness via Laindon; two trains per hour from Fenchurch Street to Pitsea via Rainham; and no trains via Ockendon or Chafford Hundred

Caledonian Sleeper

All services on the overnight Caledonian Sleeper have been cancelled from yesterday until Friday. The 7.50pm service last night from Fort William to London Euston was the first of its trains to be cancelled by the strike. 

CALEDONIAN SLEEPER: All services on the overnight Caledonian Sleeper have been cancelled from today until Friday

Chiltern Railways

Chiltern Railways will run a 'very significantly reduced timetable' from today until Saturday, and services will start later on Sunday. In addition, services will be unable to call at stations operated by London Underground today due to the separate Tube strike.

The service will be extremely limited, with the following service pattern from today until Saturday:

• Between Banbury - Birmingham: No trains in either direction
• Between London - Banbury: One train per hour in each direction
• Between London - Oxford: No trains in either direction
• Between London - Aylesbury via High Wycombe: One train per hour in each direction
• Between Aylesbury - Amersham: One train per hour in each direction (except Tuesday 21st June when there will be no service on this route)
• Between London – Aylesbury via Amersham (Metropolitan line): No trains in either direction.

There will be no Chiltern services north of Banbury, between Amersham and London on the Metropolitan line, or to Oxford, between today and Saturday. 

Services that do run will start much later and finish much earlier than normal. The service will start from around 7.30am, with morning trains not arriving in London until after 9am. In the afternoon, the last trains will be much earlier than normal, with the last trains from Marylebone running at the following times:

• 15:10 to Banbury
• 16:10 to Bicester North
• 16:45 to Aylesbury Vale Parkway via High Wycombe

CHILTERN RAILWAYS: The service will be extremely limited on the strike days, with the following pattern expected

CrossCountry

CrossCountry will run a significantly reduced service today and on Thursday and Saturday. Days either side of the industrial action are also expected to be affected. Here are the route details for the three strike days:

• Plymouth to Bristol Parkway: Limited service
• Southampton Central to Manchester Piccadilly: Limited service
• Birmingham New Street to Leicester: Limited service
• Birmingham New Street to Edinburgh: Limited service
• Birmingham New Street to Bristol or Cardiff Central: No service 
• Plymouth to Penzance: No service
• Southampton Central to Bournemouth: No service
• Leicester to Stansted Airport: No service
• Nottingham to Derby: No service
• Stockport to Stoke-on-Trent: No service 
• Edinburgh to Glasgow Central or Aberdeen: No service 

CROSSCOUNTRY: The network will be running a 'significantly reduced service' on the strike days next week as shown above

East Midlands Railway

East Midlands Railway will be operating a significantly reduced service on the three strike days and also warned customers to 'expect some disruption' to advertised service levels tomorrow and on Friday and Sunday. 

Here is the planned timetable on strike days - with the limited services only running from 7.30am to 6.30pm:

• Nottingham and London: One train per hour
• Sheffield and London: One train per hour
• Corby and London: One train per hour
• Derby and Matlock: One train per hour
• Derby and Nottingham: One train per hour
• Leicester and Nottingham: One train per hour, stopping service
• Nottingham and Sheffield: One train per hour

All other lines of the route will be closed and bus replacement services will not be provided. 

In addition, on Saturday and Sunday there will be no direct trains between Luton and London St Pancras due to pre-planned engineering work - which is unrelated to strike action. 

EAST MIDLANDS RAILWAY: The operator will run one train per hour between Nottingham and London, Sheffield and London, Corby and London, Derby and Matlock, Derby and Nottingham, Leicester and Nottingham and Nottingham and Sheffield

Eurostar 

Eurostar has cancelled up to four daily services from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord; five from Paris to London; two from London to Brussels Midi; three from Brussels to London, two from London to Amsterdam Centraal and two from Amsterdam to London on all three strike days of today, Thursday and Saturday. 

There will also be one London to Paris and one Paris to London train axed tomorrow and on Friday. Eurostar has also warned passengers that connecting journeys to London St Pancras may be affected by the strike action.

EUROSTAR: Services on Eurostar to France, Belgium and the Netherlands will all be affected by strike action this week

Gatwick Express

Gatwick Express services will not run today or on Thursday or Saturday due to the strike action. Tomorrow and on Friday, services will also be severely disrupted and be running on an amended Sunday timetable from 7.15am.

Grand Central 

Grand Central plan to run a reduced service on its routes from London to and from Sunderland and Bradford on all three strike days. Trains will run on the North East route to and from Eaglescliffe only, and on the West Yorkshire route to and from Wakefield only. Customers without reservations on these days will not be permitted to board. 

There will also be an impact on services outside of strike days, with yesterday's 5.30pm service from Sunderland to London Kings Cross thought to be the first train cancelled due to the UK rail strike. There will also be amendments to the timetable tomorrow and on Friday and Sunday. Timetables for strike days are pictured below:

GRAND CENTRAL: Trains will run to and from Eaglescliffe only, and to and from Wakefield only, with an amended timetable

Great Western Railway

Great Western Railway says it expects rail services to be 'severely affected' from today until Saturday, and a significantly reduced temporary timetable will be in place. On strike days, an extremely limited service will operate between 7.30am and 6.30pm. On non-strike days this week, no services will run before 7am.

Very limited services will run between Cardiff Central and London Paddington. Services on that line will also run to and from Oxford and to and from Basingstoke. Very limited services will also run between London and Exeter St Davids, through Bristol, and on to Plymouth. No rail services will be able to operate on strike days on these routes:

• All lines in Cornwall
• All branch lines in Devon (Barnstaple, Exmouth, Paignton, Okehampton)
• South Wales main line (Carmarthen/Swansea – Cardiff Central)
• Heart of Wessex line (Castle Cary – Weymouth)
• Severn Beach line (Bristol Temple Meads – Severn Beach)
• North Cotswolds line (Hereford/Worcester – Oxford)
• South Cotswolds line (Cheltenham – Swindon)
• Worcester/Gloucester – Bristol Kennet Valley (Reading – Pewsey)
• North Downs line (Reading – Gatwick Airport)
• South Coast (Westbury – Southampton/Portsmouth Harbour).

GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY: On strike days, a limited service will operate between 7.30am and 6.30pm on the green routes

Greater Anglia 

Greater Anglia said no regional or branch line trains will run on strike days and a very limited service will operate elsewhere – but only between 7.30am and 6.30pm - when all trains must have arrived at their final destination. 

The operator is being affected both by the RMT strike today and on Thursday and Saturday - and an Aslef strike on Thursday. There will be no services running on the following routes today and on Thursday and Saturday:

• Between Norwich and Cambridge/Stansted Airport, Sheringham, Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth
• Between Ipswich and Cambridge, Peterborough, Felixstowe and Lowestoft
• Between Marks Tey and Sudbury
• All other branch lines: Hertford East to Broxbourne, Braintree to Witham, Southminster to Wickford, Harwich Town to Manningtree, Clacton/Walton-on-the-Naze to Colchester, Colchester Town to Colchester, Meridian Water to Stratford.

A very limited and much reduced service - with fewer trains running and so fewer seats available - will run starting at 7.30am and finishing at 6.30pm on the following routes: 

• Norwich to London Liverpool Street intercity service: One train an hour, with first and last trains from Norwich to Liverpool Street at 8am and 4pm, and first and last trains from Liverpool Street to Norwich at 8.30am and 4.30pm. 
• Colchester to London Liverpool Street stopping service: One stopping train an hour plus one intercity service an hour, with the first and last stopping services from Colchester to London Liverpool Street at 7.30am and 4.25pm and from London Liverpool Street to Colchester at 8am and 5pm.
• Southend Victoria to London Liverpool Street: Two trains an hour with first and last trains from Southend Victoria to London Liverpool Street at 7.30am and 5.13pm, and from London Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria at 7.47am and 5.30pm.
• Stansted Express Stansted Airport to London Liverpool Street: Two trains an hour (reducing to one train an hour on Thursday 23 June, when train drivers are also on strike), with first and last trains from Stansted Airport to London Liverpool Street at 7.42am and 5.12pm and from London Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport at 8.10am and 5.40pm
• Cambridge to London Liverpool Street: One train an hour with some possible further alterations on Thursday 23 June, when train drivers are also on strike, with the first trains from Cambridge to London Liverpool Street at 8.20am and 4.20pm and from Cambridge North to London Liverpool Street at 9.13am and 4.13pm. First and last trains from Liverpool Street to Cambridge/Cambridge North at 8.25am and 4.25pm/3.25pm.

GREATER ANGLIA: The normal route map for Greater Anglia is pictured. The network will be running a much-reduced service

Heathrow Express 

Heathrow Express services were significantly affected from last night - when trains were cancelled after 11pm - until Saturday. Here is the plan for a a half-hourly service operating during the three strike days: 

• From London Paddington: Services are departing at 10 and 40 minutes past the hour, first service will depart at 7.40am, last service will depart at 6.10pm
• From Heathrow Terminal 5: Services are departing at 27 and 57 minutes past the hour, first service will depart at 7.30am, last service will depart at 5.57pm
• From Heathrow Central: Services are departing at 32 and 02 minutes past the hour, first service will depart at 7.35am, last service will depart at 6pm on Tuesday (and 6.02pm on Thursday and Saturday)

Hull Trains

Hull Trains will be operating a 'significantly reduced timetable' on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, when they will only be running between Doncaster and London King's Cross and only between 7.30am and 6.30pm.

Services on days either side of the strike dates will also be affected. However, a separate planned Aslef strike on Sunday has now been called off, so services that day are now due to run as normal.

HULL TRAINS: The operator will only be running between Doncaster and London King's Cross on the three strike days

LNER

LNER says over the strike dates it will be running around 38 per cent of its usual trains and they are likely to be very busy. The operator will run limited services between London King's Cross and Edinburgh Waveley. 

There will be no LNER services to Aberdeen, Inverness and Glasgow Central. There will also be no services to branch lines of Bradford, Skipton, Harrowgate or Lincoln, Hull, Middlesbrough and Sunderland.  

• The last train from London King's Cross to Edinburgh will be at 2pm
• The last train from London King's Cross to Leeds is at 3.05pm (3.06pm on Saturday)
• The last train from Edinburgh to London is 12.30pm
• The last train from Leeds to London is 3.45pm

LNER: The operator says it will be running only 38 per cent of its usual trains, with the last from London to Edinburgh at 2pm

London Northwestern Railway

London Northwestern Railway expects the strike action to have a 'considerable impact on the trains we are able to run', which will only be between 7.30am and 6.30pm on strike days. There will also be a reduced timetable on Wednesday and Friday. Here are the details for strike days:

• London Euston to Northampton: Two trains per hour
• London Euston to Crewe (via Lichfield Trent Valley): No service
• Birmingham New Street to Northampton (via Coventry & Birmingham International): One train per hour
• Birmingham New Street to Liverpool Lime Street (via Crewe): One train per hour
• Marston Vale (Bletchley to Bedford): No service
• Abbey Lines (Watford Junction to St Albans Abbey): No service

LONDON NORTHWESTERN RAILWAY: The strike will have a significant impact on travel. Normal services are shown above

Lumo

Lumo - which also runs trains between London King's Cross and Edinburgh - said it will operate as many trains as possible, although there will be 'some disruption' between today and Sunday. Here is the plan for strike days:

• London King's Cross to Edinburgh: First train leaves at 10.45am (Tuesday/Thursday) and 10.25am (Saturday)
• Edinburgh to London King's Cross:  First train leaves at 8.11am (Tuesday/Thursday) and 8.56am (Saturday)

Merseyrail

There will be no Merseyrail train services on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, and there will also be knock on effects on the day after each industrial action date. On Wednesday and Friday, limited rail replacement buses will run until 7am, from which time trains will be reintroduced.

MERSEYRAIL: There will be no Merseyrail train services on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The normal route map is shown

Northern 

Northern says on strike days there will be 'extremely limited availability of both train crew and signalling staff' and as such they 'will not be able to operate services on most routes'. There will be no replacement buses.

Northern say these services will still run, on the three strike days (all other Northern services will not run):

• Darlington to Saltburn 
• Liverpool Lime Street to Alderley Edge  
• York to Leeds
• Ilkley to Bradford Foster Square to Leeds
• Skipton to Bradford Foster Square to Leeds
• Leeds to Sheffield
• Leeds to Bradford Foster Square

NORTHERN RAIL: Only a fraction of the Northern Rail network will run on strike days. The full normal route map is pictured

ScotRail 

Just five ScotRail routes will operate in Scotland on strike days. A very limited number of trains will run in the central belt between 7.30am and 6.30pm on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. The rail operator has warned passengers only to travel 'if they really need to' on the limited services that are running, which are as follows:

Edinburgh to Glasgow via Falkirk High: Two trains per hour

Edinburgh to Bathgate: Two trains per hour

Glasgow to Hamilton/Larkhall: Two trains per hour

Glasgow to Lanark: Two trains per hour

Edinburgh to Glasgow via Shotts: One train per hour

SCOTRAIL: This map shows the normal network run by ScotRail. Only five lines will be able to run on strike days

Southern

Southern staff are not on strike, but the national walkout will severely affect all journeys on the network between Tuesday and Sunday. Southern say it will operate on limited opening hours, with services starting later and finishing much earlier than usual. On strike days, the last trains will finish late afternoon. Here is what is running: 

Services between London Bridge / London Victoria and South coast:

• London Victoria and Brighton: Two trains per hour will run between London Victoria and Brighton, calling at London Victoria, Clapham Junction, East Croydon, Gatwick Airport, Haywards Heath and Brighton only.
• London Bridge and Brighton: Two trains per hour will run between London Bridge and Brighton, calling at London Bridge, East Croydon, Gatwick Airport, Three Bridges, Balcombe, Hayward's Heath, Wivelsfield, Burgess Hill, Hassocks, Preston Park and Brighton only.
• London Bridge and Gatwick Airport: Two trains per hour will run between London Bridge and Gatwick Airport, calling at London Bridge, Norwood Junction, East Croydon, Purley, Redhill, Earlswood, Salfords, Horley and Gatwick Airport only.
• London Bridge and Three Bridges: Two trains per hour will run between London Bridge and Three Bridges, calling at London Bridge, Norwood Junction, East Croydon, Coulsdon South, Merstham, Redhill, Horley, Gatwick Airport and Three Bridges only.
• Brighton and Hove: Two trains per hour will run between Brighton and Hove only.

Services between London Bridge / London Victoria and South London:

• London Victoria and Sutton: Two trains per hour will run between London Victoria and Epsom, calling at London Victoria, Clapham Junction, Balham, Mitcham Eastfields, Mitcham Junction, Hackbridge, Carshalton, and Sutton only.
• London Victoria and Epsom Downs via Selhurst: Two trains per hour will run between London Victoria and Epsom Downs, calling at London Victoria, Battersea Park, Clapham Junction, Wandsworth Common, Balham, Streatham Common, Norbury, Thornton Heath, Selhurst, West Croydon, Waddon, Wallington, Carshalton Beeches, Sutton, Belmont, Banstead and Epsom Downs only.
• London Victoria and West Croydon via Crystal Palace: Two trains per hour will run between London Victoria and West Croydon, calling at London Victoria, Battersea Park, Clapham Junction, Balham, Streatham Hill, West Norwood, Gipsy Hill, Crystal Palace, Norwood Junction and West Croydon only.
• London Bridge and Tattenham Corner: Two trains per hour will run between London Bridge and Tattenham Corner, calling at London Bridge, East Croydon, South Croydon, Purley Oaks, Purley, Reedham, Coulsdon Town, Woodmansterne, Chipstead, Kingswood, Tadworth and Tattenham Corner only.

GREAT NORTHERN, GATWICK EXPRESS, SOUTHERN AND THAMESLINK: This map from Govia Thameslink Railway shows the trains expected to operate on its network during strike action next week on June 21, 23 and 25 - a fraction of normal services 

South Western Railway  

More than 2,100 South Western Railway staff are staking part in strike action along with Network Rail signallers, meaning it will run a dramatically reduced timetable on strike days with significant parts of the network closed.

A late-starting Sunday level of service will operate across the network on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, and customers are urged only to travel by rail if 'absolutely necessary' between Tuesday and Sunday.

A severely limited service will run between 7.15am and 6.30pm on some routes on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, with the rest of the network closed. On these strike days, SWR will run: 

• London Waterloo to Southampton: Two fast trains per hour each way. First train from Waterloo: 7.30am. Last train from Waterloo: 5pm. First train from Southampton: 7.30am. Last train from Southampton: 4.59pm
• London Waterloo to Woking: Four trains per hour each way. First train from Waterloo: 7.20am. Last train from Waterloo: 5.50pm. First train from Woking: 7.18am. Last train from Woking: 5.48pm
• London Waterloo to Basingstoke: Two trains per hour each way. First train from Waterloo: 7.15am. Last train from Waterloo: 5.15pm. First train from Basingstoke: 7.24am. Last train from Basingstoke: 4.54pm.
• London Waterloo to Windsor: Four trains per hour each way. First train from Waterloo: 7.15am. Last train from Waterloo: 5.22pm. First train from Windsor: 7.30am. Last train from Windsor: 5.30pm

SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY: There will be no trains beyond Southampton to Weymouth; or beyond Basingstoke to Exeter

Southeastern

Southeastern are warning customers to expect 'significant disruption' across the network. Only 35 out of its 180 stations will be open, and no rail replacement buses will serve stations which are closed.

Passengers have been warned they 'may be unable to board trains at stations where a limited service is running, especially at locations such as Ashford and Ebbsfleet'. Southeastern also said the last trains back from London will be 'much earlier than usual, so there is a risk that not everyone will be able to make their return journey'.

Services in between strike days are expected to be 'severely disrupted', especially in the mornings until midday. No services will run before 7.30am. The operator also said services will also be affected on the days following the industrial action, particularly in the mornings.

Southeastern will continue to run its three Dartford lines, with a delayed service, between Dartford and London Bridge. That includes the route via Bexleyheath, the line via Sidcup and the line via Woolwich. Southeastern will also run its High Speed via Ashford and London St Pancras, as well as its Orpington line to London Bridge.

SOUTHEASTERN - Limited services set to run between London, Kent and East Sussex next week on June 21, 23 and 25

Stansted Express 

Stansted Express is advising people to only travel if 'absolutely necessary' and are warning customers to expect severe disruption.

Services running will only operate from 7.30am. There will be two trains an hour, but this will reduce to one an hour on Thursday, when train drivers who are part of the Aslef union are also on strike - in addition to the RMT.

• The first and last trains from Stansted Airport to London Liverpool Street are 7.42am and 5.12pm
• The first and last trains from London Liverpool Street to Stansted Airport are 8.10am and 5.40pm
• There will be no services running from Stansted Airport to Norwich and Cambridge on these dates.

The 24-hour strikes will also have a knock-on effect on services on days immediately before and after the days when industrial action is taking place, so customers are advised to check before they travel this week.

Thameslink and Great Northern

Many stations and routes will be closed across the Thameslink and Great Northern network, and trains will only be able to run during limited hours from around 7.15am and will finish in the late afternoon. There will be no alternative travel options after the last trains. 

Services between St Pancras International and Bedford:

• St Pancras International and Bedford: Two trains per hour will run, calling at St Pancras International, West Hampstead Thameslink, St Albans City, Harpenden, Luton Airport Parkway, Luton, Leagrave, Harlington, Flitwick and Bedford only.
• St Pancras International and Luton: Two trains per hour will run, calling at St Pancras International, Kentish Town, West Hampstead Thameslink, Cricklewood, Hendon, Mill Hill Broadway, Elstree & Borehamwood, Radlett, St Albans City, Harpenden, Luton Airport Parkway, Luton.

Services between King's Cross and Peterborough / Cambridge / Ely:

• King's Cross and Ely: One train per hour will run calling at King's Cross, Finsbury Park, Potters Bar, Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City, Welwyn North, Knebworth, Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth Garden City, Baldock, Ashwell & Morden, Royston, Meldreth, Shepreth, Foxton, Cambridge, Cambridge North, Waterbeach, Ely only.
• Cambridge and Ely: In addition to the above, one train per hour will run between Cambridge and Ely, calling at Cambridge, Cambridge North, Waterbeach and Ely only.
• King's Cross and Cambridge: One train per hour will run, calling at King's Cross, Finsbury Park, Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth Garden City, Baldock, Ashwell & Morden, Royston and Cambridge only.
• King's Cross and Peterborough: Two trains per hour will run, calling at King's Cross, Finsbury Park, Stevenage, Hitchin, Arlesey, Biggleswade, St Neots, Huntingdon and Peterborough only.
• King's Cross and Welwyn Garden City: Two trains per hour will run, calling at King's Cross, Finsbury Park, Harringay, Hornsey, Alexandra Palace, New Southgate, Oakleigh Park, New Barnet, Hadley Wood, Potters Bar, Brookmans Park, Welham Green, Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City only.
• King's Cross and Stevenage: Two trains per hour will run, calling at King's Cross, Finsbury Park, Harringay, Hornsey, Alexandra Palace, Bowes Park, Palmers Green, Winchmore Hill, Grange Park, Enfield Chase, Gordon Hill, Crews Hill, Cuffley, Bayford, Hertford North, Watton-at-Stone and Stevenage only.

Transport for London

Along with the national strikes, London-wide strikes affecting the Underground will take place on Tuesday and affect services until mid-morning on Wednesday. The national strike will also affect the Elizabeth line and London Overground services, and some Tube services, on strike days and until mid-morning on the days after strikes.

London Underground 

• Tuesday:  'Severe disruption or no service' is expected on all London Underground lines for the whole day
• Wednesday: No service expected until at least 8am
• Thursday and Saturday: Most services operating, but disruption from Queen's Park to Harrow and Wealdstone on Bakerloo line; on Richmond and Wimbledon branches of the District line; and on the Waterloo and City line
• Wednesday, Friday and Sunday: Tube customers using sections of lines affected by national rail action (listed above) should avoid making journeys until mid-morning.
• Saturday and Sunday: No Waterloo & City line 
• Sunday: No District line between Turnham Green and Richmond. 

Night Tube

• Friday and Saturday night: Continued strike action means three trains per hour on the Victoria line and Jubilee lines, and two per hour on the Central line 

London Overground 

• Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday: Limited service between 7.30am and 6pm due to national strike
• Wednesday, Friday and Sunday: Reduced service, possibly starting later than normal 
• Monday to Thursday: No service between Romford and Upminster
• Monday to Friday: Changes to early and late trains on the Richmond / Clapham Junction to Stratford line; and the Gospel Oak to Barking line 
• Saturday and Sunday: No service between Sydenham and West Croydon; or Gospel Oak and Barking
• Sunday: No service between Willesden Junction and Richmond; or Surrey Quays and Clapham Junction

Elizabeth line 

• Tuesday: Services between Paddington and Abbey Wood will be running a reduced service between 7am and 6pm. The west (Paddington to Reading and Heathrow) branches of the Elizabeth line will run a reduced service from 7.40am and on the east (Liverpool Street to Shenfield) from 7.30am with customers on these branches advised to complete all journeys by 4pm
• Thursday and Saturday: The central section of the Elizabeth line will still be running a reduced service but will close as normal at 11pm. The west (Paddington to Reading & Heathrow) branch of the Elizabeth line will run a reduced service from 7.40am and on the east (Liverpool Street to Shenfield) from 7.30am, with customers advised to complete all journeys by 4pm 
• Wednesday and Friday: Reduced service, and starting later than normal on Friday
• Sunday: No service between Paddington and Abbey Wood

DLR (Docklands Light Railway)

• Tuesday: Services running but are 'likely to be extremely busy with queues to board'. Possible closures for safety reasons at stations also served by Underground
• Wednesday to Friday: Normal service expected 
• Saturday and Sunday: No service between Bank / Tower Gateway and Poplar / West India Quay

London Buses 

• Tuesday to Sunday: 'Enhanced service', but could be 'extremely busy' when strikes affect other services 

Croydon Tramlink 

• Tuesday to Sunday: Normal service planned, but higher demand likely due to strike on rail services 

Emirates Airline Cable Car 

• Tuesday to Sunday: Normal cable car service planned

Santander Cycles 

• Tuesday to Sunday: Higher demand likely as people cycle instead, with teams ensuring bicycles for hire are 'distributed at key locations according to demand'

LONDON -- This Transport for London map shows greyed-out lines for those that will be affected by disruption on Tuesday all day, and Wednesday morning. 'Severe disruption or no service' is expected on all Tube lines from the start of Tuesday until at least 8am on Wednesday. Only the Croydon Tramlink and Docklands Light Railway are shown as running normally

TransPenine Express 

TransPennine Express (TPE) will be operating a very limited service on these routes from Tuesday until Saturday: 

• Manchester Piccadilly to York
• Manchester Airport to Preston
• Newcastle to Edinburgh
• Sheffield to Cleethorpes

Services will not run between:

• Liverpool Lime Street and Glasgow Central
• Edinburgh or between Lime Street to Stalybridge. 
• Between York and Newcastle
• To branch lines of Hull, Scarborough and Saltburn.
• No link services between Manchester Airport and the Stalybridge line
• No link services to Sheffield through Stockport.

These stations will be completely closed with no services calling there on strike days:

• Yarm
• Scarborough
• Seamer
• Malton
• Selby
• Brough
• Hull (the bus station will remain open)

TRANSPENNINE EXPRESS: The network will be operating a very limited service on the above routes on strike days this week

Transport for Greater Manchester

All tram lines will run to their usual frequency and times, except the Altrincham to Timperley route which will only be from 7am to 7pm on the three strike dates, and at a 12-minute frequency. Services will operate as follows: 

• 6am to 7am - Piccadilly to Timperley only 
• 7am to 7pm - Altrincham to Bury (every 12 minutes) and Piccadilly to Timperley (every 12 minutes) 
• 7pm to midnight - Piccadilly to Timperley only

TRANSPORT FOR GREATER MANCHESTER: All tram lines will run as usual this week, except the Altrincham to Timperley line

Transport for Wales

Transport for Wales is advising customers not to travel by train on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, with the majority of its rail services suspended. The only services running will be:

• Tuesday and Thursday: A reduced service between Radyr and Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil, with replacement bus services between Radyr and Cardiff Central.
• Saturday: A reduced service between Radyr and Treherbert, Aberdare and Pontypridd, with replacement buses in operation between Radyr and Cardiff Central, and between Pontypridd and Merthyr Tydfil  

TRANSPORT FOR WALES: Almost the entire Transport for Wales network (shown above) will be closed during the strike days

West Midlands Railway 

West Midlands Railway say the strike will have 'considerable impact on the number of trains we are able to run'.  The operator will be running a very limited service on the strike dates between 7.30am and 6.30pm only. A very limited service will also be running on Wednesday and Friday. The updated timetable is as follows:

• Lichfield Trent Valley to Redditch / Bromsgrove (Cross City): Two trains per hour between Tuesday and Saturday and with normal service Sunday
• Leamington to Nuneaton: No service between Tuesday and Saturday
• Birmingham Snow Hill to Leamington / Stratford (Snow Hill lines): No service between Tuesday and Saturday
• Birmingham Snow Hill to Kidderminster / Worcester inc. Stourbridge Shuttle (Snow Hill lines): No service between Tuesday and Saturday and one train per hour on Monday
• Birmingham New Street to Hereford: No service between Tuesday and Saturday
• Birmingham New Street to Shrewsbury: No service between Tuesday and Saturday
• Birmingham New Street to Walsall / Rugeley: No service on strike days and no service between Walsall and Rugeley on non-strike days
• Birmingham New Street to Wolverhampton: One train per hour on strike days and two trains per hour on non-strike days between Tuesday and Saturday
• Birmingham New Street to Birmingham International: One train per hour between Tuesday and Saturday 

WEST MIDLANDS RAILWAY: The operator says the strike will have 'considerable impact'. Its normal route map is shown above

Glastonbury to be drenched by THUNDERSTORMS: Festivalgoers who battled through travel chaos will have to swap sunhats for waterproofs as Met Office issues a severe weather warning for tomorrow 

Thousands of eager music fans could be forced to camp in torrential downpours at Glastonbury after the Met Office issued a yellow thunderstorm warning for southern England on Thursday.

Forecasters have put a yellow warning in place between 10am and 11.59pm with torrential downpours expected from Sheffield down to Somerset, where Glastonbury is held.

With another rail strike taking place on Thursday, it is likely the storms will add to transport issues with poor driving conditions and floodwater on roads, potentially causing danger to life.

The Met Office said there is a chance of further rail and bus cancellations due to lightning strikes. It also warned of power cuts to some homes and businesses, while remote communities could be cut off due to flooded roads.

Flooding could also cause some road closures, with heavy traffic on the roads already expected around the UK due to rail strikes.

Thousands of eager music fans have queued in traffic since dawn for the first day of Glastonbury after the strike forced many to camp overnight.

Organisers told fans they could begin parking at the site from 4pm on Tuesday after trains and Tube services were disrupted for a second day running - forcing revellers to get to Worthy Farm early to beat the rush. 

The festival's main stage will not open until Friday, with headliner Billie Eilish set for the iconic Pyramid Stage followed by Sir Paul McCartney on Saturday and rapper Kendrick Lamar bringing the event to a close on Sunday.

However, DJs and live music is planned from today for eager fans who have arrived at the site early - as more than 200,000 people are expected to descend at Glastonbury over the next two days.

The founder of the Somerset festival Michael Eavis was pictured officially opening the gate to Glastonbury this morning marking the official start of the four-day music spectacular.

The festival is returning for its 50th anniversary after a three-year hiatus due to Covid-19. 

Eavis and his daughter Emily were stood at one of the festival's many entry points and clapped as the first attendees entered the site.

Eavis, 86, told those entering the gates: 'This is going to be the best show in town.

'Wait and see. You better believe it.'

Huge crowds of revellers were pictured sitting on camping chairs by metal railings as they secured their spot in line to the entrance of the festival.

Armed with camping gear and cool boxes, excited fans waited patiently as they queued to get in to the UK's most-anticipated music event of the year as they were met with glorious 19C (66F) sunshine - a pleasant change from the usual rain that marks the start of the muddy festival. 

Thousands of eager festivalgoers arrive at Worthy Farm this morning for the official start of Glastonbury Festival 2022

Armed with camping gear and cool boxes, excited fans waited patiently as they queued to get in to the UK's most-anticipated music event of the year

Motorists were pictured arriving early at the music extravaganza to beat the rush today amid ongoing rail strikes  

Festivalgoers arrived at the site carrying their camping supplies and coolboxes filled with their favourite beverages 

Revellers were met with glorious 19C (66F) sunshine - a pleasant change from the usual rain that marks the start of the muddy festival

The founder of the Somerset festival Michael Eavis was pictured opening the gate to Glastonbury this morning marking the official start of the four-day music spectacular

A woman with pink hair extensions and matching hued sunglasses was pictured queuing for entry on the first day of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset today 

The Glastonbury gates officially opened this morning for excited music fans who have been queuing since Tuesday amid the ongoing rail strikes

Music fans Simon Lampard, (left) 82-year-old Pat Brooks (middle) and Linda Brooks-Lampard (right) arrive on the first day of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset

One reveller posed for the camera wearing a multicolour long cardigan as she queued for the iconic festival

Huge crowds of revellers were pictured sitting on camping chairs by metal railings as they secured their spot in line to the entrance of the festival

A 'beer drive thru' sign to mark the start of the festival was put up for Brits who are lined up in traffic

Despite, Glastonbury usually opening its parking facilities at 9pm the night before the first day of the music extravaganza, bosses allowed the car parks to open yesterday afternoon - but this morning roads to the site were gridlocked with traffic.

Organisers said: 'There will be no entertainment or facilities other than toilets in the car parks and festivalgoers will be expected to remain in their cars until the festival gates open.'

Great Western Railway is hoping to maintain trains to Castle Cary - the nearest station - but has advised passengers to check for amendments before travelling.

A GWR spokesman said: 'All we are expecting are festival workers, the site doesn't open to the general public until Wednesday.

'It was busy on Monday but most of the people who arrived were scheduled to get here early. Since then the numbers have been minimal compared to what we would see on a normal festival travel day.'

Emily Eavis has said it is an 'amazing feeling' to see people returning to Glastonbury festival.

The music event has opened its gates this morning, signalling its return for the first time in three years after it was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking to Lauren Laverne on 6 Music, she said of the gates opening: 'I mean, I'm still recovering because the build up has just been so long, we've never had a build up as long as this, obviously.

'We've never all collectively been through such an extreme time together, so it's like, to actually be able to see people there and welcome them in and just watch them streaming in and just running to pitch their tents up and fill the fields, it's just an amazing feeling.'

Speaking about the build-up to this year's event she told BBC radio presenter Laverne that, as this year celebrates the festival's 50th anniversary, some of the original ideas for the 2020 festival are 'are still kind of playing out this year and then we've melded all kinds of ideas into this one festival and we've had so much time to kind of think about this one and I think every detail, and kind of part of the process has been devoured and savoured by everybody, because it's so precious.

Wearing a sequinned hat that was dazzled with letters that spelt the word Glastonbury, revellers queued to enter the Somerset premises 

Fans arrived at the event carrying huge rucksacks and cool bags, while wheeling their possessions to the site 

Fans carried their belongings and colourful outfits on their backs as they travelled to the gate to set up their tents

Pictured: People queue for entry on the first day of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset

This year's much-anticipated festival, running from Wednesday to Sunday, will host huge stars from Diana Ross and Sir Paul McCartney, to Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar and Olivia Rodrigo

Dressed in shorts and wearing sunglasses and hats, music fans waited in line as they queued in glorious sunshine 

Traffic builds up around the site ahead of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset today

Thousands of revellers queued on Wednesday as they waited for the gates to open for the much-anticipated festival

Traffic jams builds up around the famous Somerset site ahead of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset

A woman wearing a flower crown was pictured arriving on the first day of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset

'Everyone is appreciating it so, so much... everyone is just still beaming because they are so pleased, everyone is so chuffed to be back so it's a totally unique atmosphere, I just can't wait to get everyone in here.'

Shortly before the gates opened, radio host Jo Whiley said Glastonbury is the 'ultimate festival' and that Sir Paul McCartney's headlining slot on the Pyramid Stage on Saturday night is a 'very, very important and significant performance'.

The former Beatle, 80, will become the music festival's oldest ever solo headliner when he takes to the stage this weekend.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today Programme, Whiley said: 'Glastonbury is the ultimate festival, it's a celebration of all the arts and it's all about the human experience.

'So yes, there are all these bands playing, there's the main stage, everyone gets very excited about that, but it's all about just enjoying this, just the amount of things I think you can enjoy when you get there... Over 100 stages, there are all different kinds of performances going on wherever, so you have to think of it as like a massive smorgasbord that you can go along and you can just keep tasting all these different things... circus acts, cabaret, music.

'And everyone is just so friendly, so you make lots of friends, it's just a wonderful experience.'

On Sunday on BBC Radio 2 Whiley will present live from Pilton, 7pm-9pm, including highlights from Diana Ross' set on the Pyramid Stage.

She told BBC Radio 4 of Sir Paul that it's a 'very, very important and significant performance that will be happening then, it's the greatest songwriter of all time from the biggest band, at the greatest festival in the world, it's a big moment'.

A man is pictured with a tent on his back for entry on the first day of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset

Emma Maggs and her daughter Daise  pictured on the first day of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset

Revellers carry huge bags snd suitcases towards to gate os Glastonbury festival, which has opened today 

One woman wearing Hunter wellington boots carries her suitcase as she arrives on the first day of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset

Michael Eavis gestures next to his daughter Emily, as he opens the gate for Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset

Traffic builds up around the site on Wednesday morning ahead of the Glastonbury Festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset

Shortly before the gates officially opened at 8am on Wednesday, hundreds of Glastonbury attendees had already been queueing for hours with their bags and some said they arrived at the site in the early hours of the morning.

Mark Lawrie, 49, from Reading, who works for a sports charity, said he had arrived at the festival at 2am with his 18-year-old daughter Bethan.

'We slept in the car for a few hours and joined the queue at 6am,' he told the PA news agency.

'This is our third time and it's always brilliant. The moment you get here and start to see the tops of the tents, you get such a buzz.

'It's always such a positive atmosphere here, everyone's just so nice to each other and friendly to each other, but I think after what we've been through the last two and a half years it's going to be special.'

Ms Lawrie said the act she is most looking forward to is Billie Eilish, while her father said he is hotly anticipating Sir Paul McCartney.

'When I was first a primary school teacher, I didn't realise this but I lived next door to (McCartney) in East Sussex,' he said. 'One morning he was walking his dog outside and I had a hangover so I was in bed and didn't go to say hello to him.

'My parents will absolutely never forgive me for not having done that, so he'll be amazing to see.'

Ahead of the five-day event, meteorologist Tom Morgan from the Met Office told the PA news agency, this year's weather outlook promises to be 'one of two halves'.

Temperatures could reach 27C at the 900-acre site - 9C higher than usual - in the lead-up to the world-famous event.

However, the mud synonymous with Glastonbury is still set to make an appearance, with showers and thunderstorms predicted from Friday onwards.

To the dismay of many festival-goers the event coincides with three days of planned major rail strikes over rail workers' pay, leading to travel disruption for people making their way to Worthy Farm.

Just 60% of trains will run across Wednesday, with walkouts planned for Thursday and Saturday.This year's much-anticipated festival, running from Wednesday to Sunday, will host huge stars from Diana Ross and Sir Paul McCartney, to Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar and Olivia Rodrigo.

Revealed: The 'Spanish practices' 25 Labour MPs took to picket lines to defend - including 'sending NINE men to change a plug socket' and giving drivers 12 minutes' pay for one-minute walk - as Boris vows to 'stay the course' against unions

Militant unions have been accused of wanting to preserve 'Spanish practices' that include sending nine workers to 'change a plug socket', banning staff from working 500 yards from base and giving drivers 12 minutes of pay for making a 60-second walk - as Boris Johnson vowed to 'stay the course' against union dinosaurs.

As militant unions caused travel misery for millions, Keir Starmer faced a mutiny by his own MPs.

At least 25 of them ignored the party's stance and joined the picket lines even as their constituents were struggling to get to work.

And senior figures, including Sir Keir's own deputy Angela Rayner, backed the RMT union in its bid to bring the country to its knees.

The Labour leader was accused of going into 'hiding' after he refused to comment on the biggest industrial dispute for 30 years.

Boris Johnson said the strike was 'wrong and unnecessary' and called for a return to negotiations. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps accused Labour and the unions of 'taking us back to the bad old days' of the 1970s.

He added: 'I pity poor Keir Starmer, a man trying to ride two horses at once.

'He knows this strike is pointlessly destructive but his warning has been flatly ignored by shadow frontbenchers and backbenchers in thrall to unions who are prepared to place sectional interests above those of the country.

'He is facing a crisis of authority. The Left senses his weakness and is humiliating him with every Labour MP's appearance on a picket line. He has lost his grip on his own party.'

And industry sources yesterday shed new light on inefficiencies that cost taxpayers billions of pounds.

A walking time allowance of 12 minutes for a journey that takes 60 seconds and specialist teams refusing to share vehicles are among inefficiencies said to be costing billions of pounds to the taxpayer, according to industry sources.

A rail insider told The Telegraph: 'We can't roster individuals. Let's imagine you want to change a single socket to a double in your kitchen. Potentially you'd need an electrician, a tiler and a plumber as your dishwasher waste pipe will need adjusting too.

'Alternatively, you could find a competent odd-jobber to do the whole task. In Network Rail we can't roster individuals, only teams and we can't multi-skill those teams so we'd need to send a team of three electricians, three tilers and three plumbers – nine people to do a job one person could do.

'Eighty per cent of the most common infrastructure faults could be fixed by small, multi-skilled teams.'

Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines also described the industry as 'archaic' as he slammed 'poor productivity' throughout rail.

Labour Party leader Sir Kier Starmer addressees Labour supporters as he campaigns in Wakefield ahead of the by-election on June 18

Angela Rayner, deputy leader of Labour Party, during the British Trades Union Congress (TUC) rally on June 18

Another industry source cited the renovation of Birmingham New Street station, completed in 2010, during which train staff were relocated to offices within the city's Guildhall.

They claimed the trade union insisted on renegotiating 'walking time allowance', namely paid time from leaving a train to arriving at the office.

But the union was claimed to have used a train driver 'with a gammy leg' to complete the walk and 'timed them from the end of the longest train, at the furthest extent of the station'.

Out on strike, yet paid more than teachers and nurses 

By Andy Jehring

Rail unions brought Britain to a standstill yesterday to demand more cash despite some of their members earning big salaries.

Train drivers have a median salary of £59,000 – which is around £5,000 more than the pay of an average solicitor or a major in the Army.

Rail workers in general earn £44,000 on average according to the Government, which is higher than teachers (£41,800), the Royal Navy (£36,666), and an Army sergeant (£35,853).

The RMT claims this figure is not representative of those striking as the majority of drivers who earn the most are not on the picket line, while low-paid staff such as cleaners are.

It said the median salary of those protesting was £33,000 – but that is still over 25 per cent higher than the median annual pay of UK workers (£25,971) and nearly double a care worker's average pay (£17,000).

Even taking the union barons' figure as gospel would still mean that those on strike earn roughly the same as most nurses and a little more than a junior doctor who have gone through seven years of training.

It means low-skilled workers already earning more than frontline NHS staff are holding Britain to ransom to try and get a 7 per cent pay raise. This is despite the Government already providing £16billion so that not a single rail worker had to be furloughed through the pandemic.

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The walking time allowance was subsequently set at 12 minutes, despite Google Maps showing a completion time of just 60 seconds. 

It is also understood that maintenance staff are not allowed to cross boundary lines, meaning staff at nearby stations cannot be called upon to fix issues at neighbouring transport hubs, while specialist teams refuse to share vans and equipment and switching desks is also said to be off limits.  

But still the Labour Party was in chaos over crippling rail strikes last night as Keir Starmer faced a mutiny by his own MPs.

At least 25 of them ignored disciplinary warnings and joined the picket lines even as their constituents were struggling to get to work.

The Labour leader had warned told his frontbench they should stay away from picket lines after the RMT launched the biggest rail strike since 1989, but – in a serious threat to his authority – at least four of them ignored him.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also met striking workers in Edinburgh and, less surprisingly, a number of hard-left Labour backbenchers also joined the strike action, including former shadow home secretary Diane Abbott.

Of the 25 pictured yesterday, analysis has found that 19 of these MPs have received donations from the unions totalling £890,717. 

The donations were all listed in the Register of Members' Financial Interests. Some were direct personal donations, while others were to constituency parties and others were for chairing all-party groups and other administrative costs.

Among them was Rebecca Long-Bailey, who lost a Labour leadership bid to Mr Starmer following Jeremy Corbyn's resignation. The MP for Salford and Eccles declared £345,325 from unions between 2015 and 2021, much of it around the time of her leadership campaign in early 2020. 

Richard Burgon, MP for Leeds East, another hard-Left Labour member, also declared £97,219.52 in union donations between 2015 and 2022. 

Ian Mearns, MP for Gateshead, and John McDonnell were also among the high-profile union supporters to receive money in donations. 

Meanwhile, Mr Starmer was accused of going into 'hiding' after he refused to comment on the biggest industrial dispute for 30 years.

Boris Johnson said the strike was 'wrong and unnecessary' and called for a return to negotiations. 

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps accused Labour and the unions of 'taking us back to the bad old days' of the 1970s.

He added: 'I pity poor Keir Starmer, a man trying to ride two horses at once.

'He knows this strike is pointlessly destructive but his warning has been flatly ignored by shadow frontbenchers and backbenchers in thrall to unions who are prepared to place sectional interests above those of the country.  

'He is facing a crisis of authority. The Left senses his weakness and is humiliating him with every Labour MP's appearance on a picket line. 

'He has lost his grip on his own party.'

Yesterday's strike by 40,000 rail workers caused massive travel disruption, with fewer than 20 per cent of services thought to have run.

Travellers were left stranded or forced to take to congested roads as the strike saw rail bosses cancel all services on some lines and shut down early.

Commuters face further disruption today ahead of another all-out strike tomorrow in a bitter dispute about pay and rail reforms. 

As the Prime Minister vowed to 'stay the course' against union militants amid fears that strikes could spread like wildfire through the public sector:

• RMT boss Mick Lynch called on union bosses to co-ordinate industrial action across every town and city to cause maximum disruption;
• Some 19 of the Labour MPs who joined the picket lines yesterday have declared nearly £900,000 in funding from trade unions, analysis of the register of members' financial interests showed;
• A YouGov poll found the public opposed yesterday's strike by a margin of 45:37;
• Network Rail boss Andrew Haines revealed negotiators had got within a 'gnat's whisker' of a deal on Monday before the RMT decided to press ahead with the strikes;
• A former top aide to Sir Keir said he would face an 'explosion' if he tried to sack Labour MPs who defied him to back the strikes;
• Downing Street warned that public sector pay would be held well below inflation;
• Union dinosaur Arthur Scargill joined a rail picket line in West Yorkshire;
• London commuters faced extra misery as 10,000 Underground workers walked out in a separate dispute;
• The Communication Workers Union balloted 115,000 postal workers over strike action following a 2 per cent pay offer from bosses.

Sir Keir yesterday took a vow of silence on the rail dispute, with aides saying he would make no public comment either for or against the strikes.

A spokesman for the Labour leader said: 'Unlike the Government, our focus is firmly on the public. 

'The Tories are in charge – the responsibility for this week's chaos lies firmly with them.'

Mrs Rayner took advantage of the leadership vacuum at the top of the Labour Party to make clear she backed the strikes, which are due to be repeated on Saturday as well as tomorrow.

'Workers have been left with no choice,' she said.

'No one takes strike action lightly. I will always defend their absolute right to do so for fairness at work.'

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also defied Sir Keir to back the strike, which has left no rail services operating north of Glasgow today.

Mr Sarwar joined strikers on a picket line in Edinburgh to show 'solidarity', and said the crisis was 'entirely of the Government's making'.

Sir Keir's office told Labour frontbenchers on Monday that they would be disciplined if they joined picket lines outside stations.

But at least four members of Sir Keir's top team ignored the warning, including shadow minister Alex Sobel, whip Navendu Mishra and parliamentary aides Kate Osborne and Paula Barker.

Others joining picket lines across the country included former leadership contender Rebecca Long-Bailey and former shadow cabinet members John McDonnell, Diane Abbott and Richard Burgon.

Sir Keir ordered his MPs last week not to condemn the rail strikes. But he has also refused to say whether he supports the dispute.

Sharon Graham of the Unite union said: 'The Labour Party was founded by the trade unions and we expect Labour MPs to defend workers, by words and by actions. 

'You don't lead by hiding. No one respects that.'

Network Rail's Mr Haines apologised to passengers at Waterloo in London, branding the station a 'wasteland' and comparing it to the 'darkest days of Covid'.

He added: 'We know there are some real-life issues for people who can't travel today. It's so wrong.'

Labour MPs on the rail picket lines...and some of them even got a share of £890,000 from unions

Labour MPs who defied their leader to join rail strikers yesterday have received nearly £900,000 in union funding, analysis reveals.

Sir Keir Starmer has told his frontbench they should stay away from picket lines after the RMT launched the biggest rail strike since 1989.

But – in a serious threat to his authority – at least four of them ignored him. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also met striking workers in Edinburgh.

Less surprisingly, a number of hard-left Labour backbenchers also joined the strike action, including former shadow home secretary Diane Abbott.

She tweeted: 'On the RMT union picket line at the Seven Sisters depot. (But don't tell Keir Starmer).' Ten MPs from the Socialist Campaign Group – including Jeremy Corbyn supporters Rebecca Long-Bailey and Richard Burgon – proudly posed for pictures with striking RMT members at Victoria Station in London.

Labour MPs who defied their leader to join rail strikers yesterday have received nearly £900,000 in union funding, analysis reveals. Pictured centre: Diane Abbott, MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington

Sir Keir Starmer has told his frontbench they should stay away from picket lines after the RMT launched the biggest rail strike since 1989. Pictured third from right: John McDonnell, MP for Hayes and Harlington

But – in a serious threat to his authority – at least four of them ignored him. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also met striking workers in Edinburgh. Pictured far left: Mick Whitley, MP for Birkenhead

Less surprisingly, a number of hard-left Labour backbenchers also joined the strike action, including former shadow home secretary Diane Abbott. Pictured centre in a blue shirt: Andy McDonald, MP for Middlesbrough

A total of 25 Labour MPs were pictured on picket lines yesterday.

Analysis found that 19 of these MPs have received donations from the unions totalling £890,717. Tory MP Gareth Bacon said: 'Weak Keir Starmer's authority is shot. As these figures show, Labour MPs are clearly on the side of the militant union barons filling their coffers rather than hard working commuters simply trying to get to work.'

The donations were all listed in the Register of Members' Financial Interests. Some were direct personal donations, while others were to constituency parties and others were for chairing all-party groups and other administrative costs.

Top of the list by far was hard-Left MP Mrs Long-Bailey, who stood for the Labour leadership after the resignation of Mr Corbyn. The MP for Salford and Eccles declared £345,325 from unions between 2015 and 2021, much of it around the time of her leadership campaign in early 2020.

Most of her donations came from Unite, the union formerly headed by Len McCluskey. She also received money from the Communication Workers Union (CWU), the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) and the RMT.

Despite the funding, however, Mrs Long-Bailey lost to Sir Keir in the leadership race. Yesterday she tweeted: 'I was out on the picket line at Victoria Station in London this morning in with RMT union workers and Socialist Campaign Group colleagues. Solidarity to all on strike today. All they want is fair pay and to protect jobs and services.' She completed the message with an emoji of a raised fist.

Next was Richard Burgon, MP for Leeds East, another hard-Left Labour member who came a distant third when he stood for deputy leader. He declared £97,219.52 in union donations between 2015 and 2022. Again, most of the cash was from Unite but he also received money from the GMB.

Ten MPs from the Socialist Campaign Group proudly posed for pictures with striking RMT members at Victoria Station in London. Pictured centre in a white polo: Ian Lavery, MP for Wansbeck since 2010

A total of 25 Labour MPs were pictured on picket lines yesterday. Pictured centre holding a green RMT flag: Kate Osborne, MP for Jarrow since 2019

Analysis found that 19 of these MPs have received donations from the unions totalling £890,717. Pictured centre in a high-vis jacket and helmet: Alex Sobel, MP for Leeds North West and shadow environment minister

The donations were all listed in the Register of Members' Financial Interests. Pictured: Navendu Mishra (second left) Opposition Whip and MP for Stockport and Lloyd Russell-Moyle (far right), MP for Brighton Kemptown

Yesterday he tweeted: 'Great to pop to the picket line at Victoria Station this morning with other Labour MPs from the Socialist Campaign Group to show solidarity with RMT union workers forced by this Tory government into strike action to defend their pay, jobs and conditions.'

Ian Mearns, the Labour MP for Gateshead, declared £86,375 from the RMT between 2016 and 2020.

This was for 'administration and coordination of the RMT Parliamentary Group, which I chair'.

Other high-profile union supporters include John McDonnell, who received £54,454.97 in union donations between 2014 and 2021.

The former shadow chancellor accepted most of his donations from Unite, but he also took money from the GMB, CWU, FBU and the RMT. Yesterday he tweeted: 'Proud to join the RMT picket line this morning at West Ruislip in my [West London] borough. Solidarity to RMT union.'

Sir Keir's office ordered all shadow ministers and junior parliamentary private secretaries (PPSs) to stay away from the picket lines. The order stated: 'Please be reminded that frontbenchers including PPSs' should not be on picket lines.'

But four did so – shadow environment minister Alex Sobel, opposition whip Navendu Mishra, shadow defence PPS Paula Barker and shadow Northern Ireland PPS Kate Osborne. And although she did not attend a picket line, deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner pointedly tweeted: 'No one takes strike action lightly. I will always defend their absolute right to do so for fairness at work.'

Some were direct personal donations, while others were to constituency parties and others were for chairing all-party groups and other administrative costs. Pictured centre wearing a scarf: Margaret Greenwood, MP for Wirral West and former teacher

Top of the list by far was hard-Left MP Mrs Long-Bailey, who stood for the Labour leadership after the resignation of Mr Corbyn. Pictured centre in a pink dress: Nadia Whittome, who did not receive any union money

The MP for Salford and Eccles declared £345,325 from unions between 2015 and 2021, much of it around the time of her leadership campaign in early 2020. Pictured centre wearing a cap with sunglasses: Clive Lewis, who has been MP for Norwich South since 2015

Other high-profile union supporters include John McDonnell, who received £54,454.97 in union donations between 2014 and 2021. Pictured centre: Tahir Ali, MP for Birmingham Hall Green since 2019

Sir Keir's office ordered all shadow ministers and junior parliamentary private secretaries (PPSs) to stay away from the picket lines. Scottish Labour's Anas Sarwar (above) snubs Starmer

Sir Keir did not tweet about the strike yesterday, and is thought to be waiting until after the end of the industrial action to make a decision on disciplinary action.

Asked whether individuals would be punished, Labour's shadow Treasury minister Pat McFadden told Sky News: 'That's a matter for the whips and for Keir Starmer.'

Referring to the Scottish Labour leader, Miss Abbott tweeted: 'What is Keir Starmer going to do, remove Anas as leader?' Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, said: 'The Labour Party was founded by the trade unions and we expect Labour MPs to defend workers, by words and by actions. To instruct Labour MPs not to be on picket lines with workers speaks volumes.'

Most of the Labour MPs who have been pictured on the picket lines are members of the hard-Left Socialist Campaign Group.

They include former shadow cabinet members under Mr Corbyn, including Miss Abbott, Mr Burgon, Mrs Long-Bailey, Clive Lewis, Mr McDonnell, Dan Carden, Andy McDonald and Ian Lavery.

The list also includes Tahir Ali, Ian Byrne, Kim Johnson, Zarah Sultana, Rachael Maskell, Mr Mearns, Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Lloyd Russell-Moyle, Beth Winter, Mick Whitley, Nadia Whittome, Margaret Greenwood and Mohammad Yasin. Including the members of Sir Keir's frontbench team, that brings the total to 25.

Miss Winter, Miss Whittome and Mr Byrne did not receive any union money. It is unclear if another three were given cash.

Back to e-lessons

Pupils were forced to return to pandemic-style online learning yesterday as rail and Tube strikes stopped teachers getting to work.

Among institutions hit was Marylebone Boys' School in central London which closed its doors to all pupils except those taking exams because of staff shortages.

Meanwhile, there was chaos around the country for pupils sitting GCSE and A-level exams, with many having to find alternative transport.

Education chiefs told schools to consider reimbursing taxi fares.

Get a cab, jury told

An Old Bailey judge told jurors sitting on a murder trial that they may have to get taxis to court.

Judge Shani Barnes said the court would foot the bill for taxis 'as a last resort' so the trial did not have to be adjourned – but asked jurors to avoid using black cabs because they are 'more expensive'. 'If you can share cars that would be helpful,' she added.

The jury had been hearing how Oliver Muldowney, 35, allegedly murdered 39-year-old Tim Hipperson in south-west London, which he denies. A separate Old Bailey murder trial was adjourned at least partly due to travel issues.

NHS struggles on

The NHS yesterday continued to offer appointments and perform operations but patients and staff reported difficulty getting to GP surgeries and hospitals.

Former rowing champion Graham Benton, 48, paid £165 for a taxi at 5.30am from Portsmouth to London for a heart operation. He said: 'The hassle and cost of getting there has been very stressful.'

An NHS therapy manager said her hospital had converted some wards into dormitories for staff who struggled to travel to work.

Regions are cut off

Half of Britain's rail lines were shut down by the strikes yesterday, leaving entire towns and cities across the country without train services.

Major transport hubs in Lancashire, Cheshire, Dorset and Cornwall, as well as in Wales and Scotland, had no services. Cities without trains included Bournemouth, Swansea, Holyhead, Chester, Blackpool and Penzance – and the disruption will continue tomorrow and Saturday.

The number of passenger services operating across the UK on the three strike days is expected to be around 4,500, compared with 20,000 normally.