Train strikes – live: Disruption at major stations and on airport shuttles as rail workers return

70 per cent of train services will be operating today before more planned strikes take place, according to Network Rail

Paddington station deserted as train strikes continue on Boxing Day

Passengers have been told to expect disruption on the train network this morning after the latest round of rail worker strikes came to an end at 6am today.

Members of the RMT Union were striking across Britain over pay and conditions. Trains will not begin running until 9am this morning, and will not start until midday in some places.

70 per cent of services will be operating today, according to Network Rail.

Passengers have also been warned to prepare for “significantly disrupted” travel into the New Year amid a wave of industrial strikes sweeping across the country.

Network Rail have urged people to plan ahead and check before they depart as “industrial action means rail travel will be significantly disrupted throughout December and January”.

Further national strike action by the RMT Union is taking place on 3 and 4 January. On 5 January, ASLEF Union will go on strike and then RMT workers will walk out again on 6 and 7 January.

Key points

• Passengers face ‘significantly disrupted’ trips into January – Network Rail
• What does Britain really think about the strikes?
• Strikes are a symptom of the problem – not the cause
• Train chaos continues after days of strikes
• Boxing Day sales up on last year despite train strikes

[27 December 2022 15:50 · Holly Bancroft]

Thanks for following along with our blog coverage today. We are going to pause reporting now but here is the latest from our Travel correspondent Simon Calder.

[27 December 2022 03:53 · Namita Singh]

Welcome to The Independent’s live blog for 27 December 2022, where we provide the latest on industrial action across the country.

[27 December 2022 04:28 · Namita Singh]

Passengers face ‘significantly disrupted’ trips into January – Network Rail

Rail passengers have been warned to prepare for “significantly disrupted” travel into the New Year amid a wave of industrial unrest sweeping across the country.

The Network Rail warning came as members of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) at CrossCountry staged a 24-hour strike from 9pm on Boxing Day as part of a long-running campaign for a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies, no unagreed changes to terms and conditions, and a pay increase which addresses the rising cost of living.

Network Rail have urged people to plan ahead and check before they depart as “industrial action means rail travel will be significantly disrupted throughout December and January”.

Read more in this report:

[27 December 2022 04:50 · Namita Singh]

Roads busy with football fans and shoppers amid Boxing Day rail strike

Motorists faced disruption on Boxing Day as motorway traffic crawled along at 15mph in some places as rail strikes saw football fans and bargain-hunters take to the roads.

Thousands who might have travelled by train were forced to make other plans amid continued industrial action.

Hundreds of trains usually run on 26 December after the Christmas Day shutdown, but Network Rail said Britain’s railways would remain closed for a second consecutive day due to a walkout by workers in the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union.

Report:

[27 December 2022 05:10 · Namita Singh]

ICYMI: Total shutdown of railway but coaches and ferries running on time

As the latest rail strike continues into its third day, Britain’s railways are at a standstill – with a warning to many passengers to avoid all but essential travel until 9 January.

But many people are on the move within the UK, with flights, ferries and long-distance coaches already busy.

The UK’s biggest bus hub, Victoria Coach Station in central London, is extremely busy, with departures every few minutes to national and international destinations on National Express, Megabus and FlixBus.

Our travel correspondent Simon Calder reports:

[27 December 2022 05:30 · Namita Singh]

What does Britain really think about the strikes?

As unions and government continue their stand-off, voters are still backing the workers who have chosen to walk out, polling finds – and they support more strikes in the new year, Adam Forrest reports.

[27 December 2022 05:50 · Namita Singh]

Strikes are a symptom of the problem – not the cause

As part of our series looking at strikes, Unison leader Christina McAnea warns that more lives will be put at risk.

[27 December 2022 06:10 · Namita Singh]

Strikes shouldn’t be allowed to grind the country to a halt

As part of our series looking at strikes, Salma Shah warns that industrial action is harming the public sector in its drive to stay competitive.

[27 December 2022 06:30 · Namita Singh]

I’m a nurse – this is why I voted to strike

Ever since I was a young child, I dreamt of being a nurse that worked for the NHS. Twelve years ago, after lots of hard work and determination, I achieved that goal. There were lots of sacrifices from my family that supported me throughout my course.

I currently work as a deputy sister in an NHS hospital in Lincolnshire. My role is as part of an acute cardiology team that has face to face contact with patients that attend the hospital after having heart attacks and following cardiac arrests.

There have been many questions asked about why nurses are striking. Most people assume it is due to the real cut in our wages – but this is just a small part of why we are striking.

As part of our series looking at strikes, Debbie Quinn describes the reality of nursing inside NHS hospitals:

[27 December 2022 06:50 · Namita Singh]

Former Conservative deputy prime minister calls for higher wages for care workers

Former Conservative deputy prime minister Damian Green has called for care workers to be paid more, intensifying pressure on Rishi Sunak as the government tries to hold firm on public sector wages.

The prime minister is already facing demands from a number of Tory MPs to increase nurses’ salaries and bring an increasingly bitter strike to a halt.

But Mr Sunak has pledged he will hold out, for months if need be, for fear of increasing inflation.

Our Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin reports: