Total shutdown of railway but coaches and ferries running on time

As the latest rail strike continues into its third day, Britain’s railways are at a standstill – with a warning to many passengers to avoid all but essential travel until 9 January.

But many people are on the move within the UK, with flights, ferries and long-distance coaches already busy.

The UK’s biggest bus hub, Victoria Coach Station in central London, is extremely busy, with departures every few minutes to national and international destinations on National Express, Megabus and FlixBus.

Many arriving passengers travelled overnight – including Anne Milligan, who boarded a coach shortly after midnight from Carlisle to London.

“All fine, the roads were clear, straight through. National Express coaches, they’ve got it covered.”

She is on a journey to the Sussex coast to see friends, which she would have preferred to make by rail. But just along the road, Victoria railway station is locked and barred as a result of the four-day walk-out by members of the RMT union as part of the long-running dispute with Network Rail.

Ms Milligan said: “Real problem, this rail strike – real, big problem. They do get paid OK.

“People visiting the UK are amazed and shocked by our railways here.”

Network Rail at Euston station in London has warned travellers to avoid trains until 9 January. In a tweet on Saturday afternoon, the organisation that runs the nation’s rail infrastructure advised passengers to avoid trains unless “absolutely necessary” until 9 January.

The organisation, which is part of the Department for Transport (DfT), says: “Rail passengers who use the West Coast main line from London Euston to Carlisle and rail routes in the West Midlands, North West, Merseyside and Cumbria are being advised to only travel by train if absolutely necessary between December 24 and 8 January.”

Strikes by the RMT and Aslef unions will affect nine days out of the next 14 over New Year, with overtime bans and planned engineering work hitting services on the remaining days.

London Paddington station, the terminus for South Wales and the West of England, remains open – though is almost deserted except for the occasional overseas tourist who turns up hoping to catch a non-existent train to Heathrow airport.

The latest strike began on Christmas Eve and ends at 6am on Tuesday, with rail services beginning some hours after…