A transport department lashed out at striking unions for the industrial action.

“After two years of virtual Christmases, the British public deserve better than to have their festive celebrations impacted by strikes,” he said.

“The Transport Secretary and rail minister have worked hard to facilitate a fair and reasonable offer, which two unions have accepted, and it is incredibly disappointing that some continue to strike.

“We urge them to step back, reconsider and get back round the table, so we can start 2023 by ending this damaging dispute.”

More in this report:

As driving examiners launch a five-day strike today, Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) general secretary says the industrial action would be called off if the prime minister and chancellor “put some money on the table”.

“Our members have been offered a pay rise of just two per cent at a time when the cost-of-living crisis is above 10 per cent,” said Mark Serwotka.

“We know our action will cause widespread disruption and inconvenience to people in eastern England and the Midlands - hundreds of driving tests have been cancelled already in other parts of the country - but the government is to blame.

PCS members working as Border Force officers at Gatwick, Heathrow, Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester and Glasgow airports and the port of Newhaven will resume strikes today for four days in the same dispute.

Bemused passengers at London Paddington who had followed advice to check trains before departure have discovered that the planned resumption of services has been delayed – with no certainty about when they might begin.

Engineering work outside the terminus has overrun, blocking the entrance to North Pole depot – meaning trains are trapped.

Many cancellations are anticipated for travellers between London, the West of England and South Wales.

More in this report:

As the latest national rail strike ended, passengers the length and breadth of Britain found the nation’s trains in disarray.

The four-day stoppage by members of the RMT union working for Network Rail ended at 6am.

At London Paddington station, hub for Great Western Railway services to the West of England and South Wales, as well as the Heathrow Express, a steady stream of would-be passengers were turned away. Many had pre-booked tickets for trains that had been cancelled.

Our travel correspondent Simon Calder reports:

Crowds of people were left waiting at major train stations across London and beyond amid ongoing disruption despite the end of a rail strike on Tuesday.

Photos showed hundreds of passengers packed inside King’s Cross and Paddington, with some journeys delayed due to the late handover of engineering works.

South Western Railway also apologised to customers after a service from Waterloo to Southampton was postponed due to a “train fault”.

To the fury of rail passengers across Britain, the resumption of train services after a four-day Christmas strike turned into a shambles in many locations.

At London Paddington, hub for the west of England and South Wales, thousands of travellers hoping to return home after Christmas breaks turned up to catch trains that did not exist.

My colleague Simon Calder reports:

Driving examiners will launch a five-day strike today as part of escalating industrial action by civil servants in a dispute over pay, jobs and pensions.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) in 71 test centres in eastern England and the Midlands will walk out.

They are employed by the Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency (DVSA) as driving examiners and local driving test managers.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “Our members have been offered a pay rise of just two per cent at a time when the cost-of-living crisis is above 10 per cent.

More in this report:

Travel disruption is expected across railways again today, with many commuters returning to work following the Christmas break, as industrial action by rail workers continues.

Members of the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) at Great Western Railway will walk out from noon to 11.59am on Thursday, and at West Midlands Trains for 24 hours from noon until the same time on Thursday.

Welcome to The Independent live blog for Wednesday, 28 December 2022, where we provide the latest on the industrial action across the country.