Summary

  • Southern rail conductors staged 24-hour strike

  • Company says the action had "significant effect" on services

  • RMT union accused operator of refusing to take part in talks

  • Govia Thameslink said it was open to talks

Live Reporting

Bob Dale and Clark Ainsworth

  1. Last connecting trains 'could be at 16:30 BST'

    More travel warnings from the rail operator - that passengers' last connections could be as early as this afternoon and before the evening rush hour.

    Strike disruption in AprilPA

    The company advised: "For people travelling to stations between Crawley and Chichester, between Hove and Littlehampton/Bognor Regis, or between London Road (Brighton) and Eastbourne, your last connecting train from London may be as early as 16:30."

  2. Warnings of long queues at stations

    Passengers are being warned queuing systems will be in place at many stations that are open and there may be long waits to board a train.

    Queue at Clapham Junction railway station in LondonPA
    Queuing passengersPA

    These were the scenes at Clapham Junction in London during the last 24-hour walkout staged by the union in April.

  3. Protest planned outside rail industry conference

    RMT members are set to protest outside this year's Department for Transport Rail Industry Day from 08:30 BST.

    The union said the demonstration was "in response to a national threat to train guards".

    The conference is being held at the Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre in London.  

  4. Commuters have their say on Twitter

    People have been tweeting us using the hashtag #Southernstrike.

  5. Another morning of misery for commuters

    The #Southernstrike is being talked about this morning on BBC Sussex. Neil Pringle is speaking to Dyan Crowther, the chief operating Officer at Govia Thameslink which runs Southern rail, at 08:05 BST.

    You can listen to it here.

    Neil Pringle

  6. RMT: 'Strike action comes at great cost'

    The RMT union has said taking industrial action has had a big impact on workers.

    Graphic

  7. Southern plea to RMT: 'Return to the negotiating table'

    Southern has urged the RMT to re-enter negotiations - although in the build-up to the strike action the union accused the rail operator of a "point blank" refusal to talk.

    Graphic

  8. Routes with a limited service

    Here are the routes with a limited service between 07:30 BST and 22:30 BST.

  9. Apology from rail firm's chief executive

    Southern tweets:

    This letter from Charles Horton was tweeted by the company. 

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy and privacy policy before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

  10. What are services looking like this morning?

    It's very busy on the 0711 service to London from East Grinstead.

    Service from East Grinstead

  11. Commuter tried Twitter poll ahead of strike disruption

    Get a bus, book the day off or work from home? That was the question for this commuter.

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy and privacy policy before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

  12. RMT union: 'Safety role of a guard is paramount'

    Steve Hedley from the RMT union says taking strike action is a difficult decision for staff.

  13. Govia Thameslink: 'We've made our position clear...'

    Here's Alex Foulds, Passenger Services Director at Govia Thameslink, which runs Southern rail, with his view on today's strike action.

  14. Routes with no service today

    Southern has published this list for commuters.

    List of routes with no serviceSouthern rail

  15. Map of routes expected to be affected by the conductor's industrial action

    Southern rail have created a map showing the level of service they expect to be able to offer passengers during the strike.  

  16. How will you be affected?

    Passengers are being warned to expect disruption throughout the day. Here are the headlines.

  17. Southern rail strike: Hundreds of services cancelled

    Rail conductors are staging a second 24-hour walk out in a row over the roles of guards on trains.

    The strike action started at 00:01 BST and will continue until 23:59 BST.

    Southern have said they can't guarantee passengers will reach their destinations.

    Southern trainPA

    The rail operator has said it expects to run two-thirds of its 2,100 services, but has warned there will be a "significant" impact all day. 

  18. BBC South East rail strike updates on Wednesday 18 May

    Claire Cottingham

    Good morning.

    I'll be bringing you updates on the Southern rail strike as it happens throughout the day.

    If you'd like to get in touch and let us know about your journeys around the South East you can tweet us using #Southernstrike, email us or leave a message on our Facebook page.