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Which services are affected?
Gwyn Topham
As we just mentioned, West Midlands Trains is one of seven companies affected today.
But those companies operate more than seven services.
The other services experiencing issues are intercity services on LNER, which runs from London to Scotland via Leeds. That service will be vastly reduced. Great Western services will be severely curtailed. All Heathrow Express trains are cancelled and no GWR services will run west of Bristol into Wales.
A minimal Greater Anglia service, and just one Hull Trains service in each direction, will operate. No trains will run on Southeastern, and the majority of the London Overground services will also be stopped.
Other train operators such as Southern and Thameslink have warned that services could be crowded and disrupted as passengers switch to alternative services.
Biggest strike by train drivers in decades begins
Good morning.
Across Britain, millions of people face rail disruption today as thousands of train drivers from seven operators strike in a dispute over pay.
The industrial action by members of the Aslef union represents the biggest strike by drivers in decades and will halt some train operators’ services.
Among the services affected is West Midlands Trains, which runs to sporting venues around Birmingham, the host city of the Commonwealth Games.
Rail bosses accused the union of targeting its action on the opening weekend of both the Games and the new English football league season.
We’ll bring you the latest developments on this story throughout the day.