Rail strike - live: Commuters warned to check last train times as traffic clogs roads

Disruption as person hit by train between London Paddington and Reading

National Rail has reported delays to services after a person was hit by a train between London Paddington and Reading.

The incident is expected to affect the Elizabeth Line and Great Western Railway until about 5.30pm.

Chiara Giordano21 June 2022 15:55

Former labour leader Jeremy Corbyn shares message of solidarity with rail workers

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has expressed his solidarity with striking rail workers.

He wrote on Twitter: “Solidarity with @RMTunion railway workers striking up and down the country this week.

“We cannot let the profits of the rich continue to grow at the expense of workers’ jobs, wages, conditions, pensions and safety.”

Chiara Giordano21 June 2022 15:50

Traffic clogs roads as people switch from trains to cars

Rail strikes are causing long queues on the roads as many have switched from trains to cars.

AA president Edmund King warned of “traffic hotspots” on the M25 in the southeast, and on roads near Manchester, Leeds and west of Glasgow.

There have also been long queues on outer London sections of the M1, M4, A4 and A40.

One commuter said their bus to Brighton was 80 minutes late as congestion on the roads slowed down bus services.

RAC spokesman Simon Williams said the company had seen a 5 per cent increase in breakdowns today compared to a normal Tuesday in early summer.

“This is no doubt due to the increased volume of cars on the roads brought about by a combination of the rail strikes and the good weather,” he said.

“We are expecting the ongoing disruption to lead to higher than usual demand for our services at the roadside this week.”

Chiara Giordano21 June 2022 15:32

‘We’re running all the services we planned to’, says GWR boss

Trains are operating to schedule on a wide range of routes from London Paddington station to the West Country and South Wales – though no further than Plymouth in southwest England and not beyond the Welsh capital.

In an exclusive interview with The Independent’s travel correspondent Simon Calder, Mark Hopwood, managing director of GWR, said: “We’re running all the services we planned to. Obviously we’re disappointed that we’re in a situation with strikes, and disappointed that that means less trains.

“But the service offer that we promised people is being provided.

“Here at London Paddington we’ve got services going out through the Thames Valley to Reading. We’ve got services to Oxford, to Bristol, to Cardiff and down to Exeter and Plymouth.

“We will be closing the network down a bit earlier than usual, so it’s important, that people do check before they travel.”

The apparent reliability of “strike day” services may persuade more passengers to travel on the next two dates for industrial action, 23 and 25 June.

Mr Hopwood said: “Where we are running trains, we are very happy for people to come and travel, but we really don’t want to have people stranded.

“ust check your times for your journey out – and your journey back.”

Chiara Giordano21 June 2022 15:17

Train lines urge passengers to catch last train home much earlier today

Several rail companies are warning customers to complete their journeys hours earlier than usual today to avoid missing the last train home.

The Stansted Express has said some of its last trains from Liverpool Street are as early as 3.25pm today and there will be no replacement bus services for any passengers who miss their train.

Network Rail has urged customers to complete their journeys by 6.30pm.

Southeastern is advising passengers to catch an earlier train if possible because the last trains are expected to be extremely busy. The last Southeastern train from London Bridge towards Dartford is at 5.44pm and the final service from St Pancras to Ebbsfleet/Ashford International is at 5.33pm.

C2C has also warned customers its last trains out of Fenchurch Street are between 5pm and 5.37pm today.

Chiara Giordano21 June 2022 14:53

Travellers in last-minute ‘rush’ to catch final train from London to Scotland

A traveller has described the "stressful" last-minute "rush" to catch the final train from London to Scotland amid rail strikes.

Nicole Perl, 33 was forced to spend £50 on a taxi to make it to London Euston Station on time to make the last Scotland-bound train which would take her to her home in Carlisle.

She said: "I checked the trains yesterday when I arrived back from Stansted Airport and they seemed to be running fairly regularly, every two hours or so up until 6pm and it seemed to be the case this morning as well.

“But when I checked again at noon it said the last train was at 1.30pm so it was a bit of a rush to get here. It was quite stressful and sweaty.”

Another passenger, who did not want to be identified, said they had spent £100 on a taxi as their planned public transport route would not get them to the station in time.

Passengers await their trains to be announced at a quiet Euston station

(Alberto Pezzali/AP)

Chiara Giordano21 June 2022 14:22

Bookings for coaches and car-sharing rentals surge, firms say

Bookings for coach services and car rentals have surged in response to the rail strikes, firms have said, prompting warnings that people need to book early to ensure they are able to travel.

National Express says it has seen a surge in bookings and inquiries for coaches on its UK-wide scheduled network.

The coach operator is 65 per cent sold out across the network and anticipates this to hit more than 85 per cent with seats still selling fast.

James Taylor, general manager of Zipcar UK, said the car-sharing service has also seen higher bookings across the UK but has “committed” to keeping prices the same.

“We are seeing higher bookings across the strike days, but we are committed to keeping our prices the same despite increased demand from customers,” Mr Taylor said.

“We would urge anyone looking for alternative transport to book early to avoid disappointment, but if customers need to make a last-minute journey, they can take advantage of our flex service, which can only be booked 15 minutes in advance.”

Andy Gregory21 June 2022 14:07

Further disruption as Stansted line hit by signalling system fault

The impact of an “extremely limited” service on the Stansted Express today has been further exacerbated by a signalling system fault.

The firm warned that while all lines are now open again, some services on the line to one of the UK’s busiest airports “may still be cancelled and revised”.

Andy Gregory21 June 2022 13:57

Gary Neville backs rail workers and claims Boris Johnson ‘delighted’ by strikes

Gary Neville has defended rail workers' right to strike, warning the government will seek to “divide” and try to “turn us on them”.

The former Manchester United footballer and Labour Party member tweeted:

Responding to news that Boris Johnson would condemn unions over the strikes, Mr Neville added: “Of course he will. He’s delighted it turns the attention away from him. He wants this, he needs this, he thrives on this and quite frankly he’s having us over on a daily basis.”

Andy Gregory21 June 2022 13:44

Rail strike causing road ‘traffic hotspots’ across Britain, AA boss says

There appears to have been a surge of traffic across Britain this morning as rail strikes see many people switch to road transport.

Location technology firm TomTom said congestion levels at 11am were higher than at the same time last week in a number of cities.

In figures representing the proportion of additional time required for journeys compared with free-flow conditions, London rose from 38 per cent last Tuesday to 51 per cent today, Cardiff from 24 per cent to 29, Liverpool from 24 to 30, and Manchester from 27 to 34.

There were also long queues on outer London sections of the M1, M4, A4 and A40, with AA president Edmund King warning there were “traffic hotspots” on the M25, and on roads near Manchester, Leeds and west of Glasgow.

The firm’s breakdown recovery workers have been “busier than normal but not dramatically”, he told the PA news agency, adding: “Given good notice of the strike, many people have planned ahead and either changed their plans or are working from home.”

Andy Gregory21 June 2022 13:33

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