Tube And Rail Strikes: What You Need To Know

Millions of Tube passengers face travel misery as they attempt to get to work, with a 24-hour strike on the London Underground bringing the service to a standstill.

Here is what you need to know:

:: LONDON UNDERGROUND

Tube services began to stop running at around 6pm on Wednesday ahead of the walkout by thousands of workers, which started at 6.30pm.

There will be no services on Thursday and the disruption could extend into Friday morning as services get back to normal.

Around an extra 200 buses will be on the roads during the strike, while roadworks will also be suspended where possible.

Additional river services will operate on Thursday between Central London and Canary Wharf and Central London and Putney.

A number of extra cycle points are being introduced, while more bikes will be available at existing hubs.

There is no strike on the London Overground, DLR, TfL Rail or trams, which will all operate a normal service.

Heathrow Express services from Paddington will operate as normal.

An hourly coach service will run from Victoria Coach station to Heathrow Central Bus Station and Terminals 4 and 5.

But Transport for London (TfL) has warned all public transport and roads will be much busier than usual, especially during the rush hour.

Travellers are being advised to make their journeys outside the peak times if possible and allow more time for their journey.

For those travelling to Wimbledon for the tennis there will be no Tube services to Southfields, Wimbledon or other nearby Underground stations.

People can still get to the championships by bus, train or tram at Wimbledon station, which is a 20 minute walk from the tournament venue, or a short shuttle bus ride.

:: FIRST GREAT WESTERN

The industrial action on the Tube coincides with a 48-hour stoppage by workers on First Great Western, which will cause significant disruption to trains to and from London Paddington.

A revised timetable will be in operation during the dispute, lasting from Wednesday evening until Saturday, but FGW said space will be limited and trains will be very busy.

Changes include services between South Wales and the capital running every hour instead of half-hour, while those to the West Country will be reduced from hourly to every two hours.

As well as commuters, the strike will also affect cricket fans travelling to Cardiff for the Ashes Test between England and Australia.

The 7.15am and 8.15am services from London Paddington to Cardiff will arrive in time for the 11am start on both Thursday and Friday, but there are limited return services and these will be extremely busy, so people are advised to make travel arrangements where possible.

An overtime ban on Saturday could also mean late notice changes or possible cancellations on FGW services.

The train operator also said it is unlikely to be able to honour seat reservations on the strike days.

There will also be no catering available on trains so passengers are advised to buy food and drink before boarding.