Samantha McGregor
BBC News Online

Noel Alonso works in the wine industry and has been visiting her firm's main office in Oxford.

She is hoping to catch her flight back to Chile this afternoon from Heathrow.

"I have never been here with a strike before but I hope it's not going to be a problem," she said.

It's worth remembering, for detailed information on which services are running and which ones are not, visit First Great Western's strike page on its website, external.

Image source, FGW

As passengers queue here at Chippenham, the rail strikes are dividing opinion on social media.

• Bryan Nott tweets, external: To all the rail staff taking action today #solidarity - doing a vital job should get decent pay & conditions #railstrike #tubestrike

• Moin Miah ‏complains, external: The sooner we have #driverless #trains the better for all #commuters #tubestrikes

• Sumit Maitra jokes, external: Apparently the #railstrike is helping trains run on time...

Rory Cellan-Jones
Technology correspondent

Even web-wise BBC reporters have been caught out by the rail strike.

Technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones tweets, external: Hi @FGW I know there's a strike but it's supposed to be on the long distance services so why is the Greenford to Paddington line cancelled?

First Great Western tweets in response, external Hi Rory, it just depends on the staffing levels and lots of branch lines aren't running across our network

People seeking alternative routes into London may want to bear in mind that bus services are finding the capital very congested.

Oxford Bus Company tweets, external: Due to delays inbound to London BPR on our X90 service departures from London BPR to Oxford are being delayed. 0730 left at 0900.

Oxford Tube tweets, external: SERVICE UPDATE: Coaches currently leaving Oxford to schedule. We are experiencing delays of up to an hour on approach to Hillingdon

David Bailey
BBC News

I'm still at Kemble railway station for BBC Radio Gloucestershire. Things are still pretty quiet.

Two customers turned up trying to get to Birmingham and Swindon. One hadn't heard about the strike and described it as "a pain in the bum".

The other knew about it but had been expecting a crowded train to turn up. It didn't. They've both given up and gone home.

Chris Kelly
BBC News

The car park at Bristol Parkway, in the north of the city, was as busy as usual.

Passengers stood watching the information board in the main concourse while a big queue snaked out of the ticket office.

But the busy station meant at least the Shaun the Sheep outside - part of a charity trail in the city - was getting some attention.

Passenger David Nottage tweets, external: So far so good, the 0739 @FGW, external service from Plymouth to Paddington is on time and pretty quiet. Praying the 1506 back is the same! #nochance

First Great Western replied, external: Hi David, glad to hear it. Yes there 15:06 will likely be much busier -Andy

Samantha McGregor
BBC News Online

I met Ady Hinchen at Oxford station on his way to work at Didcot. He said there were no delays on his route, but described Oxford station as "very quiet".

"I think a lot of people might have gone by car or bus, or taken the day off to make the most of the sunshine", he added.

Matt Pengelly
Local Live

Union leaders have accused First Great Western of using "inadequately trained" managers to run services during the rail strike. The BBC has contacted FGW for a response.

RMT, external general secretary Mick Cash said: "RMT members... are solidly supporting the 48 hours of strike action over the threat to jobs, services and safety.

"FGW are running a skeleton service in some areas which is dangerously overcrowded and being operated by inadequately trained managers, raising serious safety issues which RMT will be taking up formally."

We've been asking for your pictures from the frontline of the rail strike - Chris Quinn tweets, external: @BBCBristol @FGW just us and the pigeons waiting for our train to Bath. #railstrike

Image source, Chris Quinn

Andrew Humphrey
BBC Local Live

First Great Western has advised customers to use its journey planner website, external to help check on services running during the RMT strike action.

However, those travelling in London should be aware that it does not take into account the Tube strike, so you will need to use the Transport for London planner, external for accurate information on that part of your journey.

Passenger Charlotte Mitchell tweets, external: @BBCBerkshire, external @FGW, external #happy journey to Exeter this morning from Reading. The train is empty!

Image source, Charlotte Mitchell

Paul Clifton
Transport correspondent, BBC South Today

First Great Western has said its revised operation is "smooth at the moment".

The operator said it looked like more staff had turned out than expected, "obviously not hundreds but enough to make a difference - so adding in more services where we can".

Western Morning News

Westcountry rail travellers are this morning facing major delays as a 48-hour strike by rail workers begins to bite, reports the Western Morning News, external

Thousands of members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union at First Great Western started the action at 18:30 last night.

It follows a long-running row over jobs and maintenance of new Hitachi trains. A revised timetable is operating but FGW warned that capacity will be limited.

Samantha McGregor
BBC News Online

Fundraiser Paddy Chatterton in Oxford said he was taking an earlier train to London today to overcome the delays caused by the strikes.

He normally takes the 08:07, but today took the 07:34.

Of course, once he reaches Paddington the tube strike will affect his journey to Kennington. It usually takes an hour, but going by bus today could take two hours, he says.

He added: "It's not as bad as I thought, there doesn't seem to be a huge crisis."

Matt Pengelly
Local Live

Will Guyatt, who commutes from Chippenham to London every day, has told BBC Radio Bristol: "It's all very well calling this a 48-hour strike. There was chaos from about 16:00 yesterday afternoon.

"It's one of these things always seems very confusing, and it's people like me that get it in the neck."

We've been asking you about your journeys this morning, with the First Great Western and Tube strikes in full swing:

• Jordan Sharpe uses Twitter to complain, external: Thank you @FGW strikers for royally messing up my travel for today...hope it's going well. #fgw #trainstrikes

• Ellen Rowles in London tweets, external: considering the trains in my area are on strike as well as the tubes my journey so far has been pretty stress free #Tubestrike #fgwstrike

• London commuter Daniella Hadley ‏tweets, external: Rose at 5:30am to battle London during the #strike - rewarding myself with a nap in #Starbucks

• Kerry tweets, external: I have got two #fgw financial analysts running my train though so let's see how that goes. Later she adds: So my trains arrived early, is running on time and less busy than usual. Can we have strike days every day? #fgw #whoneedsthem

David Bailey
BBC News

BBC Radio Gloucestershire's David Bailey is touring the county's railway stations, reporting on the impact of the First Great Western rail strike.

Here at Kemble, the station is deserted. I only saw one man, wandering up and down the platform scratching his head, wondering where the normal 07:19 service has got to.

The tiny Cotswold station, built of honey-coloured stone, is eerily quiet. A lone pigeon flaps along the platform edge before coming to rest on the roof of the quaint ticket office.

Could that be the only journey I'll witness this morning?

Neil Gallacher
Correspondent, BBC South West

Many passengers should see at least some kind of skeleton service at peak times if they go to the station, but they may well find little or no reliable information in advance.

For example, yesterday passengers on the Gunnislake branch in Cornwall were told by train staff that there would be two trains only at the morning and evening peak while the First Great Western website, external reports the entire Gunnislake service is actually cancelled.

But then again the company's online journey planner tool says two trains will run at either end of the day.

A spokesman told me this latter information is out of date but it's not been possible to update it.