The biggest rail strikes in three decades began on Tuesday after last-ditch talks failed to resolve a dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.
Half of Britain’s rail lines will be closed on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday when members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) and Unite walk out over pay, jobs and conditions.
The strikes will cause chaos and disruption for millions of people across the country including commuters, tourists and children attending exams.
Services on the railways and London Underground were crippled from midnight. Talks were held into Monday afternoon but the sides remain deadlocked over a deal.
The RMT said the train operators have now made an offer and there is no further offer from Network Rail following one which was rejected last Friday.
General secretary Mick Lynch said: “Faced with such an aggressive agenda of cuts to jobs, conditions, pay and pensions, RMT has no choice but to defend our members industrially to stop this race to the bottom.
Meanwhile, transport secretary Grant Shapps has denied that he is “the problem” in relation to rail strikes and called for the unions to sit down with employers.
