BRITAIN's biggest rail strike for 30 years is due to go ahead tomorrow with travel chaos predicted.
Train travellers have been urged to stay at home unless absolutely necessary up and down the country after last ditch talks failed to resolve a dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.
Half the rail network will shut down on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday in the biggest walkout in 30 years, the RMT confirmed this afternoon.
But even though the strikes are limited to three days, the impact of 40,000 workers walking out is expected to have a chaotic impact on every day this week and all over the weekend.
Commuters have been told to return home by 6pm tonight to avoid travel chaos as staff walkouts begin.
The warning comes as millions of Brits have already been caught up in the transport drama today.
Read our rail strike 2022 live blog below for the latest updates…
- henry moore
Mum faces 180 MILE drive to get her son to school, amid rail strikes
The RMT Union is striking this week, as they seek higher wages and more job security.
But this strike will cause chaos for many, including one mum who just wants to get her son to his GCSE exams.
Marta Kotlarek's son, Jacob, usually gets the train to school, but that will not be possible this week.
"They normally take the train from Flint which takes 20 minutes. We are lucky because we have a car. I worry about families who don’t have a car.
“We live in Holywell so it’s a 60-mile journey there and back to the school.
"We are also expecting extra traffic because of the strike. It’s an added stress during exams.
“I am lucky enough to have a car but what happens to people who don’t?
"I know the WJEC has processes if a child misses an exam but I am worried for children whose families don’t have cars.”
Marta said driving will also be an added cost because her children usually use season tickets and petrol prices have rocketed.
She said: “I haven’t really worked it out but it will cost between £50 and £70."
- henry moore
The strike is set to go ahead, here is TFL's advice for avoiding it
The UK is set to be plunged into travel CHAOS this week, as thousands of rail workers go on strike.
TFL have been relatively quiet on the situation, but they have released a statement giving advice to weary travellers.
Its advice? Simply avoid using London's trains
A TfL statement said: "We are advising customers to avoid travelling on Tuesday 21 June, when strike action will severely disrupt most of TfL's and national rail's services.
"If you need to travel, you are advised to complete your journey by 18:00.
"Disruption on all Tube lines will continue through the morning of Wednesday 22 June.
"No London Underground services are expected to run before 08:00, when they will begin running with delays.
"We encourage customers to avoid making journeys until mid-morning."
- John
Money talks
The average salary of a train driver is £54,000 per year – a seven per cent rise on that would see them raking in £57,780.
The strike is set to cause chaos for millions, from workers to holidaymakers and parents.
More than half of services to Glastonbury Festival in Pilton, Somerset have been cancelled.+
It means tens of thousands will have to find alternative routes to its 50th event.
And last week mum Marta Kotlarek told how she faces a 180-mile drive to get her sons to school for their GCSE exams.
- John
Back to the 70s
Meanwhile, teachers, binmen and posties have threatened to join the walkout – causing chaos unseen since the 1970s.
A reduced timetable this week will operate just 20 per cent of train services on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
And a map of misery has illustrated how just half of the country's network will be open.
Network Rail said that no passenger services will serve locations such as Penzance in Cornwall, Bournemouth in Dorset, Swansea in South Wales, Holyhead in North Wales, Chester in Cheshire and Blackpool, Lancashire.
There will also be no passenger trains running north from Glasgow or Edinburgh.
- John
Maximum chaos
The strike has been designed to cause maximum disruption, meaning six days of chaos this week.
But NHS oncologist Professor Robert Thomas said the strike will lead to cancer deaths.
He told Good Morning Britain: "There's 120,000 on chemotherapy and a similar amount on radiotherapy. It's well established that delays will have a 20 per cent reduction in benefit of cancer treatment.
"I think it's selfish and inappropriate. Oncology is at breaking point at the moment.
"This will lead to loss of life. Maybe not now but in the next few months.
"It's going to lead to considerable delays and considerable distress.
"If it's going to cause loss of life you have got to ask if they have the moral authority to make the choice of going on strike at this time."
TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said rail staff have been left with "no other option".
- John
Commuter hell
Downing Street has warned it will be "extremely difficult" commuting during the rail strikes.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "For those that have no choice but to come in it will be extremely difficult tomorrow and I think the public will understandably want to know why they are being put in this position.
"We believe we are seeking to offer a fair and reasonable pay rise and modernise the railway services for the long term, and we need to get rid of some of these outdated rules and procedures, some of which have not been updated for decades and which don't serve the public."
- John
Mass shortages
Many train services have been cancelled with "shortage of train crew" given among the reasons ahead of a national walkout of rail workers.
And a number of train companies are running emergency timetables today, warning people to only travel if necessary.
But Treasury chief secretary Simon Clarke said earlier today it is likely the rail strike will go ahead and insisted it is not up to the Government to resolve the dispute.
- John
What has TFL said?
A TfL statement said: "We are advising customers to avoid travelling on Tuesday 21 June, when strike action will severely disrupt most of TfL's and national rail's services.
"If you need to travel, you are advised to complete your journey by 18:00.
"Disruption on all Tube lines will continue through the morning of Wednesday 22 June.
"No London Underground services are expected to run before 08:00, when they will begin running with delays.
"We encourage customers to avoid making journeys until mid-morning."
- John
What has Grant Shapps said?
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps denied that he is "the problem" in relation to rail strikes.
He told Sky News: "The actual unions need to sit down with the employers because this is a highly technical discussion around 20 different areas of modernisation that are required on the railway, to make sure the railways can continue to function.
"We've given £16 billion of taxpayers' money through coronavirus to make sure that none of those railway employees lost their jobs.
"So they need to work on this together between the union and the employers."
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