‘What a mess’: Rail passengers blast ‘disgraceful’ end of Christmas eve train services with some forced to get replacement buses and taxis back home in time to spend the festive period with their loved ones
- RMT union members began next period of strikes over pay on Christmas Eve
- Passengers were forced to find other ways of getting back in time for the big day
- Around 16.6 million were expected to travel across the country on Christmas Eve
Travellers hoping to get home on Christmas Eve faced further rail disruption as train companies began another period of strikes over pay.
Passengers took to Twitter to question rail companies, whose trains were often delayed or cancelled with little notice.
The AA warned that Friday 23 December was the busiest day on the roads this week, with an estimated 16.9 journeys across the UK.
A further 16.6 million were expected to travel today, on Christmas Eve.
Passengers trying to get home for Christmas on December 24 faced disruption due to rail workers’ strike over pay and terms. Pictured: People board a train at Euston station
Services on Christmas Eve were limited and began to wind down in the afternoon. Pictured: Grand Central Station in Birmingham
Trains stopped running at around 3pm on Christmas Eve in most locations.
Examples of last train departure times include 10.45am from Leeds to London, 11am from London to Edinburgh and 12.48pm from London to Manchester.
One passenger said their train to Glasgow was halted at Crewe station, with travellers advised to take a coach for the rest of the 200 mile journey.
Another passenger trying to get to their rural home for Christmas said little updates were provided by a service provider after their train was cancelled.
Passengers took to Twitter after their trains were either delayed or cancelled on Christmas Eve
Strike action by the RMT began on Saturday and lasts until 6am on December 27.
East Midlands Railway will only ran an ‘extremely limited service’ between London St Pancras and Corby, with no trains on routes such as London St Pancras-Sheffield and London St Pancras-Nottingham.
No South Western Railway trains ran on several routes to and from London Waterloo, including Reading, Twickenham and Dorking.
Travellers at Euston train station in London on Friday 23 December at the start of the Christmas getaway
Chiltern Railways did not operate any trains to or from Oxford, or north of Banbury.
No trains operate on Britain’s railways on Christmas Day.
The normal limited Boxing Day schedule has been scrapped due to the strike, while services will start later than usual on December 27.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT), pictured outside Euston Station on December 13, went on strike on Christmas Eve and will continue action until December 27
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