The general secretary of a rail union has claimed that the Government "do not want a resolution" to rail workers' long running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.
Members of the drivers' union ASLEF took industrial action on Wednesday, meaning several operators including CrossCountry and Northern are running no trains. The union's general secretary Mick Whelan said negotiations to resolve the bitter row are not taking place, though the Department for Transport (DfT) insisted it has "facilitated a fair and reasonable pay offer".
Today's walkout is the first of three this week, with the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) due to stage action on Friday and a further ASLEF strike will take place on Saturday. Passengers are being advised to plan ahead and check the times of first and last trains.