LONDON'S train services are already beginning to wind down, leaving some Brits stranded in the capital unless they leave within the next "2 hours."
According to a report by Sky News, the last train from London Euston to Edinburgh has already left the station, as has the final Manchester service.
This comes as approximately 40,000 workers under Network Rail ditched their stations this morning.
Only 20 per cent of train services will run today, therefore Brits have been urged to avoid travel at all costs today.
Speaking on the strikes, RMT boss Mike Lynch said: “Network Rail has not made any improvement on their previous pay offer and the train companies have not offered us anything new.
“In fact Network Rail has upped the ante, threatening to impose compulsory redundancies and unsafe 50% cuts to maintenance work if we did not withdraw our planned strike action.
“The Government need to stop their interference in this dispute so the rail employers can come to a negotiated settlement with us.”
Read our travel delays live blog below for the latest news & updates…
- henry moore
London Underground workers to launch fresh strike
TUBE workers are launching a fresh strike next month causing travel chaos for thousands.
The London Underground staff are planning to walk out on August 19 in a row over jobs and pensions.
The RMT announced the move today just weeks after a Tube strike crippled the capital.
Employees were asked to stay home as London Underground effectively shut down.
- henry moore
Brit misses funeral due to strikes
Jen, from Havant, Hants, was set to attend an uncles funeral today, but was unable to due to strikes.
The 42-year-old told the PA news agency: "I would also like a pay rise in line with inflation but in reality that won't happen. I don't choose to mess around with people's lives because of it.
"And it angers me when they say 'Oh, just work from home' or 'Just travel on a different day' because people don't 'only' travel for trivial reasons. I won't get this day back."
- henry moore
Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak promise to ban strike action if elected
Both of the Conservative parties potential leaders have committed to banning public sector strike action if elected.
This is an effort to prevent days such as today, where Brits' travel plans have been plunged into chaos as they are unable to use the rail.
Critics of the policy point to strike action's achievements, such as the weekend and minimum wage.
- henry moore
No trains in Cornwall today
As Britains rail services are once again crippled by strike action, only 1 in 5 trains are running today.
Cornwall has seemingly been hit hard by these strikes, with Great Western Rail warning that no rail services will operate on "all lines in Cornwall".
Services should return to normal tomorrow, however, these strikes have been known to cause delays even after they are complete.
- henry moore
What to expect today
- National rail strike planned
- Most TfL services will run as normal
- Some TfL services that use Network Rail track will be affected
Network Rail apologises for impact of 'pointless' strike action
Andrew Haines, Network Rail chief executive, said: "Despite our best efforts to find a breakthrough, I'm afraid there will be more disruption for passengers this week as the RMT seems hell-bent on continuing their political campaigning, rather than compromising and agreeing a deal for their members.
"I can only apologise for the impact this pointless strike will have on passengers, especially those travelling for holidays or attending events such as the Uefa Women's Euro 2022 semi-final (on Wednesday) and the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games (on Thursday)."
Members of the RMT and TSSA will launch co-ordinated strikes on August 18 and 20, while the RMT announced a strike on London Underground on August 19.
Shadow transport minster joins picket line
Shadow transport minister Sam Tarry joined striking workers on the picket line at London Euston station, in defiance of Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer's orders to stay away.
He told ITV's Good Morning Britain: "If we don't make a stand today, people's lives could be lost."
Asked whether he expects to be sacked by Sir Keir, Mr Tarry said: "I've no idea what Keir will decide to do but I know this – if Keir was in government right now, this dispute wouldn't be happening."
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told Sky News that Mr Tarry's actions are "clearly in direct defiance of Sir Keir" and "no doubt he'll want to remove him from his job".
Many passengers turning up at stations are unaware of the strike.
Gatwick trains running on time
Rail strikes seem to have had little effect on Gatwick Airport railway station this morning.
Trains towards London Bridge, London Victoria, Three Bridges and Brighton are all currently running on time.
There were significant delays and disruption at the airport station during rail strike action earlier last month.
There is a significantly smaller staff presence on the platforms today compared with the strikes in June, where multiple members of staff were on duty on each platform to guide passengers.
Railway workers on strike say nothing has changed despite three walkouts
Railway workers on the picket line at Bristol Temple Meads station on Wednesday said there has been little movement from employers or the Government following the first three rounds of strikes.
They said rail companies want to press ahead with driver-only trains, getting rid of guards who are otherwise known as train managers.
Sophie, 31, who has spent five years on the railway and two as a guard, told the PA news agency: "If there's no safety-critical person it puts passengers at risk.
"If there is an accident or an incident, there is no qualified guard to look after passengers."
She said that although most passengers will only notice the guard when they are checking tickets, they have to do six months of training to learn all the details of their routes, such as platform length, access routes and signal points, as well as first aid.
- Joseph Gamp
People 'used to using buses snd taxis'
Victoria Station in London is quieter than usual amid the strikes.
While passengers stream off the scheduled trains, the station is calm.
One commuter quipped that the lack of chaos was down to the fact that "people are just used to it now" after the three days of strikes last month.
They claimed that after a rocky few months for the rail services, people are "used to finding other modes of transport, like buses or taxis".
- Joseph Gamp
Liverpool Lime Stret passenger tells of delays reachng grandchildren
At Liverpool Lime Street, passenger Jennifer Galvin, 74, had caught a train from Broadgreen, Liverpool, and was waiting for a service to New Brighton, Wirral, where she was going to look after her grandchildren.
She said: “I knew there was going to be a strike today but I’ve got an app to check when the trains are and I’m hoping I’ll still be able to get there.
“There should be one service an hour running to New Brighton so we’re hoping to catch one at 10.12am.
“The journey hasn’t been too bad. The train here was packed but it hasn’t been too chaotic. I think most people have chosen not to travel.”
- Joseph Gamp
What to expect on Thursday after the train strikes
- Most services will run as normal
- Services affected by the strike on Wednesday will operate a minimal service before 08:00 and restore a normal service by midday. These include:
- London Overground
- The Elizabeth line
- District line – Wimbledon and Richmond branches
BA pilots threaten strike action
More misery is on its way for Brits as British Airways pilots threaten strikes over pay.
BA pilots were considering a ballot on strike action last night after bosses rejected demands for a new pay deal.
Martin Chalk, Balpa general secretary, said: “We are in talks with British Airways and wish to persuade them that continuing deductions from our members’ pay is unwarranted.
“We should actually be talking about pay increases given the inflationary scenario.
“Unless BA is prepared to walk with us down that road then we will have to consult with members to consider our next actions.”
A British Airways spokesman said: “We remain committed to continuing talks with the union.”
London Underground workers to launch fresh strike
TUBE workers are launching a fresh strike next month causing travel chaos for thousands.
The London Underground staff are planning to walk out on August 19 in a row over jobs and pensions.
The RMT announced the move today just weeks after a Tube strike crippled the capital.
Employees were asked to stay home as London Underground effectively shut down.
Heathrow airport blames queues on passengers packing too much makeup
The airport capped passengers at 100,000 a day, to help keep delays and queues down.
Speaking on the radio station Leading Britain's Conversation, Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye reportedly said: "A lot of people are put off from checking in all of their makeup, for example, because they are worried about whether their bag will make the journey with them.
"People tend not to think of makeup as being prohibited from travel, so there's a lot of education that we need to do with people."
- Louis Allwood
What to expect today
- National rail strike planned
- Most TfL services will run as normal
- Some TfL services that use Network Rail track will be affected
How much does it cost to cancel an easyJet flight and how far in advance do you need to do it?
If you cancel within 24 hours of booking you will receive a refund minus the cancellation fee, which is £49 online and £55 over the phone.
After 24 hours of booking, easyJet flights are non-refundable.
But if a serious illness or family bereavement causes you to cancel, contact customer services.
They may remove the fee and offer a flight voucher to use within six months. You may be required to provide proof, such as a death certificate.
How do you cancel an easyJet flight?
To cancel an easyJet flight, you need to go to the easyJet website.
Go to the Manage Bookings section and use your surname and booking reference to log in, and then choose the flight reservation you wish to cancel and click “Cancel”.
If you are asked to pay a cancellation fee, you can do so by entering your card payment details – and your flight should now be cancelled.
Alternatively, customers can call the easyJet customer service team on 0330 365 5000.
You can also cancel flights at an easyJet Help Desk at most airports – but this must be under two hours before take-off.
If your flight is cancelled due to a coronavirus travel ban or the Foreign Office advises against travel to your destination, you will be fully refunded.
But if you choose not to fly due to personal safety concerns and the flight does go ahead, you are not entitled to your money back.
'We should actually be talking about pay increases'
Martin Chalk, Balpa general secretary, said: “We are in talks with British Airways and wish to persuade them that continuing deductions from our members’ pay is unwarranted.
"We should actually be talking about pay increases given the inflationary scenario.
“Unless BA is prepared to walk with us down that road then we will have to consult with members to consider our next actions.”
Liz Truss vows to limit trade unions' ability to 'paralyse the economy'
Liz Truss has pledged to do "everything in her power" to ensure "militant action" from trade unions can no longer "paralyse" the economy if she wins the Tory leadership contest.
The Foreign Secretary announced a series of measures aimed at preventing trade unions from causing disruption on strategic rail routes and other national services.
If she becomes prime minister at the beginning of September, Ms Truss said her government would introduce legislation in the first 30 days of Parliament to guarantee a minimum level of service on vital national infrastructure.
Tailored minimum thresholds, including staffing levels, would be determined with each industry.
She would also ensure strike action has significant support from union members by raising the minimum threshold for voting in favour of strike action from 40% to 50%.
The minimum notice period for strike action would be raised from two weeks to four weeks, and a cooling-off period would be implemented so that unions can no longer strike as many times as they like in the six-month period after a ballot.
Ms Truss would also put an end to members receiving tax-free payments from trade unions on the days they are on strike.
She said: "We need tough and decisive action to limit trade unions' ability to paralyse our economy.
"I will do everything in my power to make sure that militant action from trade unions can no longer cripple the vital services that hard-working people rely on."
Transport for London reviewing long-term funding settlement
Transport for London (TfL) says it is reviewing a draft proposal from the Government for a long-term funding settlement.
TfL has been operating on a series of emergency short-term funding deals since falling into financial trouble during the pandemic.
Andy Byford, London’s Transport Commissioner, said the long-term funding – if agreed – would provide much-needed certainty for those in the nation’s capital.
He said: “Since keeping London moving through the darkest periods of the pandemic we have been making the case to Government that there can be no UK recovery without a London recovery and that there can be no London recovery without a properly funded transport network.
“We are grateful for the support we have received so far, and maintain we have met every condition that has been set by Government as we have worked towards agreeing a multi-year funding settlement that would give certainty to London and to the tens of thousands of jobs across the country that are directly linked to TfL.”
- Louis Allwood
Passengers in Folkestone ‘treated worse than cattle’
Passengers at Folkestone said they were “treated worse than cattle” while stuck in their cars for up to 21 hours this weekend.
The gridlock was blamed on the decision to shut a 24-mile stretch of the M20 due to Operation Brock.
Kent Police effectively turned the roads into a car park for thousands of lorries in an attempt to ease congestion – which seems to have backfired.
The AA branded the entrance to the Eurotunnel in Folkestone the “hotspot of holiday hell”, warning drivers to “be prepared”.
- Louis Allwood
New rail map shows only half of services will run this week
RAIL bosses have unveiled a new map of misery showing how only half of Britain’s network will be open this week.
More than 50,000 railway staff will walkout in the biggest dispute on the network in 33 years.
A map shows the lines which will continue operating in and out of London during the affected dates.
- Louis Allwood
AA warns travel chaos to jam Britain’s roads during warm months
Head of roads policy at the AA Jack Cousens shared his worries that delays will last throughout the warm months.
He explained: “We are concerned that we could be in for a repeat of this congestion across the summer.
“Drivers due to use both Dover and Folkestone to head into Europe on Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday mornings between now and the reopening of schools may see a repetition of these delays.”
- Louis Allwood
Little-known Universal Credit rule could see you fly home from holiday EARLY
Sun seekers are jetting off on their jollies despite the travel chaos, but this mistake could see your benefit payments cut or stopped all together.
If you’re planning on going abroad for any length of time you must tell the Department for Work and Pensions about your plans.
If you don’t report this, you could see your claim stopped or reduced, and you might have to cut your holiday short.
You can go for a holiday for up to a month – but you still need to stick to the conditions of your claim, which involves looking for a job.
How you report a change in your personal circumstances depends on what benefit you are claiming.
Click here to read more.
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