Summary
The biggest train strike in 30 years has disrupted travel for millions, hit businesses and heightened anxiety for students trying to get to exams
The RMT union says turnout at picket lines has been "fantastic" and shows "we will win"
But rail bosses and the RMT now say they will hold fresh talks tomorrow
Even if agreement is reached, this is unlikely to avert another strike on Thursday but a deal could halt Saturday's walkout
Tens of thousands of rail staff are taking action over pay, redundancies and changes to working practices
PM Boris Johnson has called on passengers to "stay the course" because proposed reforms are in their interest
Some Labour MPs have joined picket lines in support, ignoring calls from party leadership to steer clear
London Underground workers have also gone on strike in a separate dispute over pensions and job losses
Live Reporting
Edited by James Clarke
Get involved
Get involved
Send an email to haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk
Posted at 16:02 21 Jun16:02 21 Jun
What's been happening today?
Commuters on an escalator in Waterloo station
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Thanks for joining our live coverage of today's rail strikes. We're closing our coverage now, but here's a recap of the main developments:
Passengers across England, Scotland and Wales have had their travel plans disrupted by the train strike action
Strikes are also planned for Thursday and Saturday
Disruption stemming from today's industrial action will continue until late morning tomorrow because of a lack of overnight staff
Downing Street says Boris Johnson believes pay rises in line with inflation are "not feasible across the board" now
The RMT and rail bosses plan to hold fresh talks on Wednesday
Today's updates have been written by Alex Kleiderman, Marita Moloney, Thomas Mackintosh, Lauren Hirst, Catherine Evans, Andrew Humphrey, Craig Hutchison, Aoife Walsh, Sam Hancock and Jennifer McKiernan. The editors were Rob Corp, Nathan Williams, Marie Jackson and James Clarke.
We'll be back with coverage of Thursday's strikes - pending the outcome of tomorrow's talks, perhaps...
Article share tools
ShareView more share options
Share this post
Copy this link
Read more about these links.
Posted at 15:57 21 Jun15:57 21 Jun
Rail strike made commuting a dream - passenger
The rail strike hasn't been all doom and gloom for commuters.
That's according to Daniel Schofield, who sent us a picture from Fenchurch Street station in London while waiting for the last train home.
"Commuting has been a dream today with the empty trains," he says.
Commuters wait at a platform at London Fenchurch Street
BBCCopyright: BBC
Article share tools
ShareView more share options
Share this post
Copy this link
Read more about these links.
Posted at 15:54 21 Jun15:54 21 Jun
'I'm with them' - The affected workers in support of strikes
We’ve heard lots of stories today about people whose plans have been in disarray, but what about those who support the workers striking?
Michelle Smit, from Selby, North Yorkshire, told us earlier she was struggling to get to work in Leeds city centre.
However, she said that despite her difficult commute, she had some sympathy with the workers on the picket line. "Sometimes we've got to do what we've got to do."
Michelle Smit
BBCCopyright: BBC
Michelle Smit says she'll probably end up getting a taxiImage caption: Michelle Smit says she'll probably end up getting a taxi
Electrical engineer Harry Charles, from Lewisham, south-east London, said similar. Despite his normal 10-minute journey to work by train to London Bridge taking 90 minutes, Harry said he supported the action.
"I am with the employees who are striking because their money is not going up and the cost of everything is rising," he told the PA news agency. "The strike has caused a lot of hassle for people but everyone wants be able to eat."
In Manchester, Amber Zito, a canine hydrotherapist from Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, suggested blame for the strike shouldn't be put on workers.
"I blame the government for the strike. I don't blame the people who work for train companies at all," she said while stuck at Manchester Piccadilly station. "They are only trying to do what everyone wants for their job."
A passenger runs to catch a train at Waterloo station before train service ends early, on the first day of national rail strike in London
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
Commuters were seen running through stations today to catch the limited trains availableImage caption: Commuters were seen running through stations today to catch the limited trains available
Others were less sympathetic. Hospital food supply worker Marie, from Chingford, Essex, told the PA news agency she was forced to walk for 40 minutes from Liverpool Street to Waterloo this morning.
"There are loads of people who have worked right through the pandemic, myself included," she said. "We can't go on strike just at the drop of a hat, so I don't have any sympathy."
Britons appeared divided over the strikes, with 37% in favour compared with 45% against, according to a snap YouGov survey. A separate poll of more than 2,300 people, by Savanta ComRes, suggested 58% thought the action was justified.
The government maintains the issue must be resolved by the private train operators and the unions.
Article share tools
ShareView more share options
Share this post
Copy this link
Read more about these links.
Posted at 15:50 21 Jun15:50 21 Jun
In pictures: Commuters scramble to catch last train home
Here is a selection of images from London stations on Tuesday evening, as services operate at a reduced capacity.
A passenger runs to catch a train at Waterloo station before train service ends early
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
A passenger runs to catch a train at Waterloo station before train service ends early.Image caption: A passenger runs to catch a train at Waterloo station before train service ends early.
A woman stands in front of the departures board at Euston station
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media
A person at an almost deserted Euston station in London this evening.Image caption: A person at an almost deserted Euston station in London this evening.
Passengers run to catch a train at Waterloo station
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
Commuters rush to jump on a train at Waterloo station.Image caption: Commuters rush to jump on a train at Waterloo station.
A man in an orange shirt runs through Clapham Junction station
PA MediaCopyright: PA Media
Passengers rushing through Clapham Junction station during rush hour on Tuesday evening.Image caption: Passengers rushing through Clapham Junction station during rush hour on Tuesday evening.
The entrance to Westminster Tube station
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
The entrance to Westminster Tube station is closed to commuters.Image caption: The entrance to Westminster Tube station is closed to commuters.
Article share tools
ShareView more share options
Share this post
Copy this link
Read more about these links.
Posted at 15:46 21 Jun15:46 21 Jun
Travel diaries: From Manchester to Durham
Paloma is disabled and trying to get home
Andre Rhoden-Paul
BBC News
Paloma Malia
Paloma MaliaCopyright: Paloma Malia
The strikes are forcing many passengers to either risk the railways or find an alternative route.
Paloma Malia, from Durham, is wondering how easily she'll get back home from Manchester Airport this week.
The retired mental health nurse, who is currently on a solo trip to Greece, has had her train home on Thursday cancelled.
The 50-year-old, who has scoliosis, says she has since booked another train on the same day, but has been told she'll probably not be able to have wheelchair assistance at the train station because of staffing shortages.
Also, there may not be anyone to help Paloma, who is unsteady on her feet, on to the train.
"It's going to be very hard, but I'm hoping that I can ask some kind people to help me," she says.
Despite the impact on her travels, Paloma supports rail workers taking industrial action.
"The government haven't come to the table. I'm not going to blame the workers for striking," she says.
Article share tools
ShareView more share options
Share this post
Copy this link
Read more about these links.
Posted at 15:42 21 Jun15:42 21 Jun
A quiet but challenging day across the south of England
Passenger on a deserted train station in the south of England
BBCCopyright: BBC
The vast majority of train services across the south of England have been cancelled today and usually busy train stations have been deserted.
Bournemouth will not see another South Western Railway service until Sunday - in fact, the only services the train operator will provide will be from Southampton to London.
Portsmouth, Poole and Weymouth will also have none at all.
People who did need to use the railways to travel say the few trains that did run were "far quieter than usual" and their journeys were "challenging".
There are normally 35 trains departing from 06:00 BST that can get you from Reading to Paddington by 09:00 BST - today there were just four.
And later in the day trains that were able to run on that line were disrupted and delayed when a person was struck by a train near Slough.
Article share tools
ShareView more share options
Share this post
Copy this link
Read more about these links.
Posted at 15:38 21 Jun15:38 21 Jun
'Everything's been booked for months'
Alice and Bethan
.Copyright: .
Alice (l) is hoping her hen do in Manchester organised by Bethan (r) will go ahead this weekendImage caption: Alice (l) is hoping her hen do in Manchester organised by Bethan (r) will go ahead this weekend
The rail strike is complicating hen do plans that Bethan Lewis from Dinas Powys in the Vale of Glamorgan has worked on for months. She is organising a hen do for 11 to Manchester this weekend and says the gathering is now up in the air.
“We're now asking people to find more money to potentially drive up now… as well as parking in the city centre which isn't ideal,” she says.
Bride-to-be Alice Lally says she's been looking forward to the weekend as it will be the first time she has gone away since her baby was born in October.
"I'm trying not to think about the worst, but it definitely makes things a little bit more stressful. I think getting back will be hard too."
Article share tools
ShareView more share options
Share this post
Copy this link
Read more about these links.
Posted at 15:33 21 Jun15:33 21 Jun
'I support the workers - they don't want to strike but have no option'
Ricky Oates
Ricky OatesCopyright: Ricky Oates
Ricky Oates has joined RMT workers on picket lines at two stations today, in support of the striking rail workers.
“I’m registered as a disabled person," he tells the BBC.
“I attended both rail picket lines in Bedford and Milton Keynes this morning to show my support.
"They worked all through Covid and kept the country running. And didn’t really get thanks for it. They’re just asking for decent pay.
“It just makes me really upset that the government has allowed this strike to take place when they could have averted this strike on day one.
“Some of the workers cried today, when I said I had friends who had missed hospital appointments.
“They said they really don’t want to strike but have got no other option. To me, that really brought home the human side of it."
Article share tools
ShareView more share options
Share this post
Copy this link
Read more about these links.
Posted at 15:25 21 Jun15:25 21 Jun
Some disruption tomorrow but less than today - Network Rail boss
Members of the public pass through Queen Street station in Glasgow
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
After a day of cancellations, Network Rail's chief executive Andrew Haines has warned anyone travelling tomorrow to be mindful of a slow start to the day.
He tells the BBC:
Quote Message: Tomorrow morning is going to be very heavily affected because the first trains in the morning will not be able to start up because people who'd normally be working the night shift won't be signing on for duty.
Tomorrow morning is going to be very heavily affected because the first trains in the morning will not be able to start up because people who'd normally be working the night shift won't be signing on for duty.
It's not all bad, though. Haines says by late morning, "we'll be running a full service" and it's expected that will continue throughout the day.
"So, again, disruption but far less disruption than today," he adds.
Article share tools
ShareView more share options
Share this post
Copy this link
Read more about these links.
Posted at 15:20 21 Jun15:20 21 Jun
Could it still be magic for Julia?
Barry Manilow fan Julia McCart smiles
BBCCopyright: BBC
Julia McCart from Glengormley, Belfast, is travelling around the country following Barry Manilow on tour as part of her 80th birthday celebrations.
After seeing the singer perform in Cardiff on Monday, she was due to travel to Newcastle on Tuesday where she was set to meet him.
The Barry Manilow fan then planned to travel to a concert in Glasgow on Thursday and go back home to Belfast on Friday.
Barry Manilow performs onstage
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
"It has caused quite a bit of hassle," she says, especially as her flight from Belfast to Bristol was cancelled too, but it was nonetheless worth it."
The American crooner's hits include Could it be Magic, Mandy and Copacabana.
"To me and maybe to all of us fans, he's a great artist, a great showman and musician," Julia says.
"I've tried my best to follow him.”
You can read more about people whose leisure plans have been affected by the strikes here