People would be "mad" to travel by train if employees were replaced by agency staff, striking RMT union members say.

"I wouldn't travel on the railway if that were the case - safety is paramount," says Amanda Testa, RMT Bristol branch secretary.

This week's industrial action is about more than a pay rise, says the RMT's national secretary Darren Procter, who joined union members picketing outside Bristol Temple Meads.

He says the strikes are about issues including "terms and conditions, protection of jobs, pensions", and are "an inconvenience to our members" as well as train users.

Dan Panes, spokesperson for Great Western Railway, says: "We need to sit down with the RMT and hash out a deal because that's the only way this is going to be solved."

Sam Hancock
BBC News

Image source, Getty Images

It’ll come as no surprise that an increase in cars on the road during the strike period has potentially disastrous consequences for the environment – and us.

Today alone, traffic surged in a number of UK cities, with location technology company TomTom finding congestion levels at 11am were higher than at the same time last week.

The areas included London, which saw an increase of on-road congestion from 38% on 14 June to 51% earlier, Cardiff (from 24% to 29%), Liverpool (from 24% to 30%), Manchester (from 27% to 34%) and Newcastle (from 18% to 20%).

There were also long queues on outer London sections of the M1, M4, A4 and A40. But what does all this actually mean?

“Taking people off trains and putting them on the road is only going to increase congestion and, as a result, air pollution emissions,” Professor Francis Pope, from the University of Birmingham, tells me.

Image source, Getty Images

It’s difficult to measure exactly how much the rail strikes will increase air pollution levels in the UK – not only because they’ve just begun but because, as Prof Pope points out, “there’s not yet some magic number [with air pollution] where if you go over it, people know they’re at greater risk”.

“That’s the long term, though. In the short term, for some people you’ll get exacerbations… people with asthma are more likely to get an asthma attack with high levels of air pollution. Certainly that may be a worry," he says.

“Coupled with the high pollen levels at the moment, there are factors here that may impact [people with] respiratory illnesses.”

There’s a wider issue too, according to Lorraine Whitmarsh, professor of environmental psychology at the University of Bath, which is how Britain’s dysfunctional rail network skews attitudes towards climate change.

“This rise in car use will increase air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and congestion in the short term, but the bigger risk is that these disruptions create longer-term habits – that people start to rely on their cars to travel if they lose confidence in public transport,” she tells the BBC.

“This poses a real threat to both health and the environment.”

Image source, Getty Images

Commuters in Cardiff have given their views on the rail strike as much of the network in Wales came to a halt.

"It's ridiculous. I work for the NHS. I have to be there on time," said one man boarding one of the very few trains running in Cardiff.

Others said they stood with the strikers and understood their grievances with the rail companies and the government.

Jennifer McKiernan
BBC London

Several West End shows have cancelled performances as a result of the rail strikes.

The Throne at Charing Cross Theatre, starring Mary Roscoe and Charlie Condou, was due to have its preview this evening. That'll now be on 29 June, with the opening night on 4 July.

This afternoon it was announced that Bonnie & Clyde at the Arts Theatre in Victoria has cancelled this evening’s performance.

A statement on social media said it could not guarantee the cast could travel to and from the venue safely.

At the Lyric Theatre, Get Up, Stand Up is cancelled.

Image source, Getty Images

And the Theatre Cafe will be closed today, also due to the train strike.

Some audience members arrived at the matinee of The Woman in Black at the Fortune Theatre with minutes to spare - one woman said she cycled from Notting Hill in very busy traffic.

This is all a blow to the West End, making a slow recovery after months of closures due to the coronavirus pandemic, when the theatres went dark.

Image source, Getty Images

Many trains to Ardrossan link up to ferry services to the Scottish islands.

So what impact is the rail strike having for the tourist trade here?

Sheila Gilmour, director of Visit Arran, explains the impact of the rail strike to BBC Scotland's Drivetime: "Our trains are actually running, the trains that come down to the harbour are running, our ferries are running.

"So that's always good news.

"What's not such good news is that obviously reputationally people are thinking that the trains are not going.

"So they’re not going to make the journey and the villages are quite quiet."

If you're just joining us, here are some of the key developments so far:

• Members of the RMT union have been staging the first of three days of strikes over job cuts, conditions, pay and pensions
• There has also been industrial action on the London Underground
• Millions across England, Wales and Scotland are experiencing disruption to travel
• Downing Street says Boris Johnson believes pay rises in line with inflation are "not feasible across the board" now
• Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says the RMT's call for him to come to the negotiating table was "a stunt"
• The RMT and rail bosses plan to hold fresh talks on Wednesday
• RMT general secretary Mick Lynch says the turnout at today's picket lines has been "fantastic"

Image source, EPA

A nurse says she was two hours late to work because of the rail strikes happening across Britain.

Having travelled from Swindon, the nurse ran for her train at Oxford station to get to work in a nearby hospital.

She says the strikes are "a nightmare" for her but she understands why rail workers are doing it.

Ben Godfrey
Reporting from Wolverhampton

Quite a few people have still been turning up to Wolverhampton station today despite warnings about cancellations.

Taxi drivers have chatted on benches with their vehicles parked up as they wondered how many fares they might get.

Daniel Nkwenu, a support worker from the city, had been considering taking one when he found there was no train to Shrewsbury, until he realised the cost of a taxi.

"That is crazy, I don't think I can pay for that. I am still lost, I do not know what to do," he said.

Lyla Alsadek had also planned to go to Shrewsbury for her birthday on Wednesday but, with no trains, she also could not find a bus.

"There is a shortage of bus drivers so I can't get to Telford and there are no trains so I am stuck here as I am meant to be going to Shrewsbury," she said.

Birthday plans could also be scuppered for Sadia Rashid as she said the strikes could affect her weekend.

"I have booked things which are non-refundable so if I can't travel to where I need to be, then I will be very disappointed," she told me.

Bob Dale
BBC Live reporter, south-east of England

Commuters in the South East have been hit hard by the strike, even though some trains continued to run today.

At Dartford in Kent this afternoon there were about six trains an hour to London Bridge, but Southeastern Railway said by 12:30 there had been just under 2,400 passengers through the ticket gates, 24% of the number for the same time last Tuesday.

Other stations, such as Tunbridge Wells in Kent and Hastings in East Sussex, have been closed for the day.

Those travellers who did make it in today now face a difficult journey home, followed by more disruption across the week, with some workers opting to spend money on central London hotels after travelling up on Monday.

Harry Low
Reporting from Clapham Junction

There's a frenetic feel to the evening rush hour at Britain's busiest railway interchange.

I've seen plenty of passengers dashing for trains at Clapham Junction ahead of what's expected to be an early end to today's services.

On an ordinary day, 2,000 trains would pass through here but the strikes mean that number has been significantly reduced.

South Western Railway, Southern and London Overground services all call at this station, which had tens of millions of passengers a year pre-pandemic.

Staff themselves aren't entirely sure when services will end although their best estimate is for somewhere between 18:00 and 19:00 BST.

For those who miss the last train home, the longest day of the year may feel even longer.

Workers' demands chime with passengers - for nowpublished at 17:23 British Summer Time 21 June 2022

17:23 BST 21 June 2022

Impact of the rail strike in Scotland

David Henderson
BBC Scotland Business and Transport Correspondent

Almost 90% of Scottish services have been cancelled.

No trains are running outside Scotland's Central Belt - so there's not a single service for Perth, Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness, the North or west coast.

Only five ScotRail routes see any trains at all, and even these will be limited.

All this underlines the crucial role played by signallers employed by Network Rail, whose strike has crippled the railways. When they don't work, rail lines grind to a halt.

It means disruption for rail passengers.

But a fair number we've spoken to voice sympathy for the signallers' pay demand.

The cost of living crisis and soaring inflation affect all but a lucky few.

So when rail workers demand a pay rise, that chimes with some passengers - even those whose journeys are disrupted.

But if the industrial action drags on for weeks or months, will they be quite so understanding?

Image source, Graham Benton

The strikes are forcing many passengers to either risk the railways or find an alternative route.

You'll remember we told you earlier about Graham Benton, 48, who was scheduled to have a heart operation today in London.

Well, we're happy to share some good news.

After a long and expensive journey to hospital, he's just called us from his hospital bed to say he's out of surgery and doing well.

He's hoping to be discharged tomorrow - and not Thursday - to avoid another 05:30 BST start and a two-and-a-quarter-hour taxi journey back to Portsmouth.

People in south-west England who rely on trains have been left stranded or forced to find alternative transport, with many stations in Cornwall completely cut off.

In Plymouth, some trains are running, but many services have been cancelled.

James Davis, from Great Western Railway, said there would also be “significantly reduced services” on non-strike days, where the company is able to operate.

Alanna Wills, owner of Buffers Coffee Shop at St Austell station, said she'd be closing early on weekdays and not opening at all on Saturday.

She said she understood why workers were striking, but argued it was affecting the wrong people.

“We still have to pay rent to be here, so we’re paying and we can’t even open, which is definitely not ideal."

Colin, a coach driver for Stagecoach, sympathises with the rail workers generally, but does not agree with striking.

Drivers provide a public service and by striking they end up penalising the public, he said.

“As a worker, obviously they need the money. There must be other ways around it."

William Rowland from west Cornwall took an hour longer than usual getting to his wildlife volunteer work because he had to take the bus.

"I'm not in a particular rush but it's quite a lot of bus travelling," he said, adding that he did support workers' right to protest.

For 16-year-old Maddie, having to catch buses added another 90 minutes to her journey home from a shift working at a supermarket.

Image source, PA Media

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch says the turnout at today's picket lines has been "fantastic" and "exceeded expectations".

He says members have shown "outstanding unity" during its dispute with rail bosses over job cuts, conditions and pay.

RMT members are "leading the way" for workers who are "sick and tired of having their pay and conditions slashed", Lynch says.

“Now is the time to stand up and fight for every single railway worker in this dispute that we will win," he adds.

Katy Austin
Transport correspondent

Rail bosses and the RMT union will hold fresh talks on Wednesday.

A senior industry source says that even if an agreement is reached, it will not come in time to stop disruption on Thursday, as the timetable was now "baked in".

But in the event of a deal, it would be possible to avert Saturday’s disruption with 48 hours' notice.

Image source, GETTY IMAGES

Paul Waterson, from the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, tells Radio Scotland's Lunchtime Live it's been a very difficult day.

"We're seeing a significant impact on business right through accommodation, through to bookings in restaurants and bars, especially outside the Central Belt, because there's no trains running at all in these areas," he says.

"It really is a difficult situation for us especially when we're just getting back to a bit of normality after Covid.

"To be hit with this at this time is just the worst thing that could really happen to us."

There is also already uncertainty about where the strike action is going to go next, he adds.

"Uncertainty is one of the worst things that can happen in a business."

Harry Low
BBC London News

As the evening rush hour approaches, only three London Underground lines are currently running a limited service.

The Central, District and Northern line trains are operating infrequent shuttle services, mostly outside zone 1.

As a result, London Overground and Elizabeth line services, which are also operating reduced frequencies, are busier than usual.

There is also extra pressure on buses, the Docklands Light Railway and trams although many Londoners have heeded Transport for London's advice to avoid travelling altogether if possible.

Those heading out for events this evening will have concerns. Especially those heading to Queen's performance at the O2 in north Greenwich, where there are no Jubilee Line services available.

Near the Oval, where Surrey host Somerset in cricket's T20 Blast, neither Oval nor Vauxhall station are open to Tube users.

John Bowness
Reporting from Penrith

Oliver Setterfield, an NHS nurse from Warrington, had arrived in the Lake District to climb Scafell Pike. He said he was angry at the striking rail workers.

"I work for the NHS and we should be going on strike, I was dating a train conductor and she was on £30,000 after one year with no experience, as a nurse you'd have to wait five years before a pay rise, after all that time at university.

"I think it's an absolute joke, these people are well-paid, we should be on strike, but the NHS doesn't do that," Setterfield added.

Jim Walker, the president of Cumbria Tourism, says a rail strike is the last thing the sector needs as it tries to recover from the pandemic.

The body has been pro-active in encouraging visitors to arrive by train rather than car.

Walker said: "The results and effects of the rail strike are very concerning and looking forward there could be more strikes and will that put people off travelling by public transport?

"A relatively small amount of people travel here by rail but the rail franchise is so important to us, and it's something people rely on."

He added that he hopes the dispute can be resolved quickly ahead of the school summer holidays.

Some commuters in Yorkshire are facing a double dose of travel disruption as the RMT national rail strike coincides with an ongoing bus strike.

Bus workers with Arriva Yorkshire began an indefinite walkout on 6 June, which is hitting services across West Yorkshire as well as parts of North, South and East Yorkshire.

Michael Smith would usually travel to York or Leeds in a normal week, but is having to use his annual leave because of the twin strike action.

"I've arranged days off specifically so it's not affecting me. I can't work from home," he says.

"I'm out and about quite a lot and I need to be customer-facing. I'm frustrated, but I've got to be flexible."

Liz Copper
Reporter, BBC Midlands Today

Frustrated travellers have been turning up at Stoke-on-Trent's railway station to find it completely shut.

Lisa-Marie Grice is just out of hospital and was expecting to be able to head home when she found the doors locked.

"I got Covid and had to isolate for the whole time in there and just come out to get the train back to my destination and I am absolutely devastated," she said.

Another woman, Jabeen Sethi, said she didn't think enough had been done to let people know the station would be completely shut.

"Quite upset because I just paid to come on the bus, came here, wasted my time and have to go back," she said.