Commuters are warned that trains will be halted early tonight due to rail strikes

Commuters are being warned that train services will be halted much earlier than normal today due to strikes.

Rail, Shipping and Transport (RMT) union members from 14 rail companies resigned in a long-running dispute over pay, jobs and working conditions.

Trains started later than normal at around 7:30am and finish earlier than usual at around 6:30pm.

Operators such as CrossCountry, Great Western Railway, Northern and Southeastern are affected.

Across Britain, between 40 and 50 per cent of normal weekday services were to operate, but some areas had no trains all day.

Mick Lynch, General Secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT), joins union members on the picket line outside Euston railway station

The disruption is expected to last until Friday as many trains will not be in usual depots overnight.

RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch has said the dispute is “stuck in an impasse” because the latest bid is “underfunded”.

He said: “The government supports the railway companies and gives them their mandate.

“They have offered a salary proposal of 5% for the last year and 4% for the coming year, which is well below the rate of inflation.

“But they have said that all these pay rises as they are – which amount to pay cuts – have to be funded by changes in the working conditions of our members.

“So it’s really a self-funded raise and that’s very difficult for us because the terms they’re putting on this deal are just not acceptable to our people.”

“So we’re really at a dead end where the supply is underfunded, the terms aren’t acceptable and we have no way forward.”

The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators, claimed the RMT “blocked the chance of resolving this dispute” by not getting the latest offer to a vote of its members.

A quiet Euston station this morning as industrial action shut down much of the country’s rail system

South East trains in sidings at Ramsgate station in Kent after services were suspended

A spokesman for the Ministry of Transport called on the RMT to “submit the Rail Delivery Group’s very fair offer to a democratic vote of its members”.

Rail commuters were furious today as rail services across the UK were paralyzed by a nationwide strike on top of a second day of disruption from the Tube strike.

Passengers tweeted that rail workers were “really trying the public’s patience” and said the strikes “will be my death” as they struggle to get to work.

All London Underground lines were still suspended today as the effects of yesterday’s strike were felt during this morning’s rush hour

Others said they had “never been so excited about automated robots replacing human workers” and asked, “Why am I paying for a ticket at this point?”

The London Underground strike that began yesterday had a major impact on the morning rush hour, with stations closed and services running until mid-morning.

Service tomorrow morning may also be disrupted as much of the rolling stock will not be in the correct depots before a second rail strike begins on Saturday.

Nationwide, all rail travelers have been warned to expect disruptions today and Saturday, and again on future strike dates of March 30 and April 1.

Teachers in England and university staff are also set to strike in a continuation of a strike yesterday as they took part in one of the biggest days of action in a decade.

Up to half a million teachers, lecturers, residents, civil servants, London Tube drivers, BBC journalists and Amazon employees walked out on Budget Day.

Union officials, speaking at a rally in London attended by tens of thousands of strikers and supporters, said the strike had sent a strong signal to the government about its handling of the dispute.

PUTNEY BRIDGE: People are waiting to get into Putney Bridge station in south west London today

PINNER: Passengers await the opening of Pinner Station in north-west London this morning

Steve Montgomery, Chairman of Rail Delivery Group, said: “This latest round of strikes will be a further inconvenience to our customers who have already been experiencing disruptions for months, and cost our staff even more money when they can least afford it.

“They will also ask why the RMT leadership blocked the chance to resolve this dispute by refusing to give its members – many of whom would have benefited from a 13 per cent increase – a say in their own deal.

“While we will be pulling out all the stops to keep as many trains running as possible, unfortunately there will be restricted services across many parts of the rail network throughout all four days of the strike, so we recommend checking before travelling.”

LOUGHTON: Commuters outside Loughton station this morning as they wait for it to open

Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk