The Independent

Commuters look set to face more travel misery today as First Great Western train services endure their second day of strikes, reports the Independent, external.

RMT members walked out yesterday over safety and job loss concerns with the introduction of a new Hitachi Intern City Express trains. The strike came at the same time as that of London Underground workers, creating a perfect maelstrom of travel chaos for millions of commuters.

Today, FGW spokeman James Davies claimed that "over 90 per cent of trains" in the London Thames Valley area were running normally - but conceded that elsewhere service was considerably affected.

Andrew Humphrey
BBC Local Live

As the 48hr RMT strike enters its final hours, here are the latest headlines:

• The strike is scheduled to end at 18:30, but disruption could continue with staff instructed not to work overtime until Sunday, external.

• Another RMT strike due to begin this weekend on Southern Rail services has been called off

• Further action short of a strike is possible for First Great Western after the TSSA union called a ballot

• Many stations and trains were less busy than usual on Friday morning

Western Daily Press

Thousands of rail travellers face potential delays and disruption again today as the 48-hour strike by RMT union members on First Great Western trains continues, reports the Western Daily Press, external.

The dispute over jobs and safety concerns has seen high-speed services between London Paddington, the West and Wales halved.

Cricket fans heading out of London to the Ashes Test match in Cardiff are among those affected. A 24-hour strike by the RMT and Transport Salaried Staff union on London Underground which ended last night compounded the misery.

Chris Ellis
BBC News Online

The Transport Salaried Staffs' Association has called a ballot on industrial action at First Great Western, the union has revealed on its website, external.

It's asking more than 300 managers to vote for action short of a strike in a ballot which opens on July 15 and closes on July 24.

Manuel Cortes, general secretary, said: "First Great Western senior management think that they can just order our members about at will. They are being instructed to do jobs which they do not feel either qualified or confident to do."

Andrew Humphrey
BBC Local Live

Liberal Democrat MEP for the South East of England, Catherine Bearder, has called on the RMT union and First Great Western to resolve their dispute through talks rather than strikes.

She says: "These days we need to have a think about how industrial action works - it doesn't really impact on owners or bosses but the customers. If owners lose revenue they put the prices up.

"I believe in sitting around a table negotiating a deal - that's much better than attacking the long-suffering customer."

Chris Ellis
BBC News Online

Despite the strike of a reported 2,000 First Great Western employees across the network, the majority of trains leaving and arriving at Plymouth were on time or only slightly delayed.

Although many services have been cancelled, with the branch lines being the main victims, the car park was reasonably full and station busy with rail users and commuters. Most people were positive ahead of their journeys, although some feared they would miss connections and flights.

As the Friday afternoon rush hour approaches, it seems many First Great Western, external trains are quite busy in the sunshine as a strike by RMT members continues.

• Alison Burge ‏tweets, external: Given ppl standing all way from Cardiff suppose shouldn't complain at having to stand btwn Swindon & Reading for 2nd time 2day #fgwstrike

• Holly moans, external: Preparing for a crushing from Reading to London #FGWstrike

• Jonathan Eden complains on Twitter, external: Well done #fgwstrike standing room only on the 13:33 to Plymouth. Very health and safety. Utter shambles.

• Snorri Kristjansson ‏reveals, external: As reservations break down and seat-based hopes are dashed, @fgw's 13:30 to Bristol Temple Meads becomes a shrine to passive aggression. To which Jess at @FGW, external responds: That's good! No zombie apocalypse on the network today! Jess

The RMT rail union has confirmed that a five-day strike by engineers on Southern Rail, external due to start this weekend has been suspended after a breakthrough in last minute talks with the company this morning.

The engineers had planned to walk out on Sunday and observe an overtime ban in a dispute over pay and conditions.

In a letter to members, external, RMT General Secretary Mick Cash, said: "Southern recognises that the hard work and commitment of our engineering staff has contributed towards the efficient operation of the company over the life of the franchise and any pay offer will be fully cognisant of this fact."

The Guardian

The Guardian's Gaby Hinsliff has written about the effect of London's tube strike, external, and also the broader right to withdraw labour.

She said: "Without it, employees are defenceless in the face of exploitation, which is why being able to withdraw one's labour is essential to civilised society.

"But it's precisely because it's such a powerful weapon that striking shouldn't be abused."

Train company First Great Western tweets, external: Time restrictions on tickets have now been removed until the end of service today. Passengers can now travel at any time with their tickets.

Andrew Humphrey
BBC Local Live

I've been at Oxford railway station this morning to see what impact the rail strike is having.

Abdur Razzak says his journey was trouble free. "I'm half an hour later than usual because of the amended timetable, but I told my employer and they were fine with it so it's no problem."

There has been a dramatic fall in customer numbers in the shops in Oxford Station, according to the manager of the West Cornwall Pasty Co Stephen Tilley, he tells me that it had been very quiet the last two days - usually he would expect to do 50% of the day's business in the morning rush hour, but he says his and the other shops had seen nowhere near that.

Matt Pengelly
Local Live

Train company First Great Western, external has revealed its social media team has been handling around 150 Twitter messages an hour during the industrial action.

Image source, FGW

More than 11,300 tweets have been received - about four times the normal volume - a team of four has replied to 70% of them.

A FGW spokesman said: "On Twitter we can speak directly to customers so it really comes into its own during disruption in times like this.

"It's been great to hear so many positive comments this week, when we are running more than half of services. Of course we do get some negative ones as well, but we just want to make sure people have all the information possible to get where they have to go to."

The Spectator

The Spectator's editor Fraser Nelson is sick of strikes and has written an article about how the Conservative government could attempt to tame, or in his words "crush the unions", external.

Michael Muldowney tweets this picture, external of the 11:06 London Paddington to Penzance service, saying: Today's overpacked #FGW service to #Cornwall...

Image source, Michael Muldowney

Matt Pengelly
Local Live

In the last few minutes, the RMT rail union, external has announced planned industrial action on Southern Railways, external has been suspended

Engineers at Southern Railway had planned to walk out on Sunday for five days.

Some people affected by today's First Great Western strike have been letting off steam on Twitter:

Rachel Blundell tweets, external: @FGW, external because of your strike my sister can't get home to visit our dad in hospital...I hope you are enjoying your day off

Kerry Mcleod tweets, external: 1st class not opened up to help deal with extra passengers. £170 pp if we want to upgrade. You cld have made strike much less difficult @fgw, external

Andrew Humphrey
BBC Local Live

It's been eerily quiet in the sunshine at Oxford railway station today. It seems many people heeding the advice from First Great Western, external and choosing not to travel during the rail strike.

Canadian Ryan Chen-Wing has allowed an extra hour for his journey into London, so he can make his connection as he travels to New Haven. He said "As I'm on holiday I can spare the time and I don't really know about the politics of the strike, but if I was working then I would be a lot more worried."

It's not only the businesses inside the station that have seen a drop in customer numbers, outside Kamini Patel from CitySightSeeingOxford told me: "Usually Friday and Saturday are the busiest days here, but it seems very quiet in the station. The whole area is less busy."

Matt Pengelly
Local Live

We're well into our live coverage of the second full day of the rail strike - the latest headlines include:

• Long-distance train services are running at about 50%, say First Great Western, external managers.

• There's a near-full service in the London and Thames Valley area.

• Senior officials at the RMT Union, external say support for the strike is 'rock solid'.

• Railway stations around the FGW network are reported to be 'quiet' in the sunshine.

• Staff from the FGW Twitter team, external handle four times the usual number of enquiries, complains and messages.

There has been strong support for the RMT strike action at First Great Western, from both staff and the public, according to the union, external.

Image source, RMT

Pickets such as this one in Reading have been in place for the second day.

General secretary Mick Cash said, external: "The message from FGW staff has rung out loud and clear and it is now down to the company to get back round the table and give us the very basic assurances on jobs, services and safety that RMT has been calling for."

BBC Travel

In case you care attempting to avoid First Great Western services in Dorset, they are not the only ones with issues on their routes.

There is a replacement bus service running on South West Trains at the moment between Dorchester South and Weymouth due to emergency engineering works at Upwey.