Which trains are running during today’s rail strikes?

The UK’s busiest railway stations are much quieter than normal as the latest round of national strikes begins.

The most protracted and disruptive rail stoppages since 1989 involve walk-outs on a total of 12 days, stretching into the New Year, by members of the RMT union. Cancellations began on Monday as train operators responded to the strike. In many parts of Great Britain there are no trains at all. Conversely, though, fast and frequent links are operating on a number of lines between 7.30am and 6.30pm on strike days.

But wintry weather and other problems are disrupting some operations. So which trains are running and where?

London commuter belt

North of the capital, Thameslink trains from Bedford (fast) and Luton (stopping) to London St Pancras International are running every half-hour; all services call at Luton Airport Parkway. They are not continuing, as they usually do, south of the River Thames.

Cambridge and many stations in Hertfordshire are being served from King’s Cross and Liverpool Street in London, as well as Stansted airport.

Norwich, Ipswich and Colchester are being served by hourly fast trains to and from Liverpool Street, plus additional stopping services between Colchester and London.

South Essex has good services as far as Southend and Shoeburyness from Liverpool St and Fenchurch Street.

In Kent, Southeastern is running trains on the High Speed 1 line from London to Ashford, with some delays and cancellations. Suburban trains to Dartford (via both Bexleyheath and Sidcup) and Sevenoaks are running as far as London Bridge.

The only station on the Sussex coast with trains from London is Brighton, served every half-hour from both London Victoria and London Bridge via Gatwick Airport (ie trains every 15 minutes), with a half-hourly shuttle running between Brighton and Hove. Some south London suburban trains are running.

At London Waterloo, the busiest station in the UK, four trains per hour are running to Windsor, Woking and Basingstoke, with two trains each hour continuing to Winchester and Southampton (via the airport).

Slough, Reading, Oxford and all Heathrow terminals are being served with regular trains from London Paddington. Slough-Windsor, Maidenhead-Marlow, Twyford-Henley and Reading-Basingstoke branches from the Great Western line are being served.

Oxford Parkway is getting an hourly train from London…