This morning, Britain braced for fresh travel chaos as members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at Network Rail and 14 train operators bedded in for two 48-hour walkouts from Tuesday and Friday.

Here is a round-up of the key developments:

‘Permanent scarring’.... a government source told The Times newspaper that a generation of passengers could be put off from using trains permanently because of ongoing strikes. Fresh industrial action was described by the source as “an act of self-harm.”

‘Torpedoing’ negotiations...RMT secretary-general Mick Lynch took aim at transport secretary Mark Harper, telling Sky News he had heard “nothing tangible” from the government since they last met for talks before Christmas.

Safety risks...Speaking on the picket line outside Euston Station on Tuesday, The Independent’s Simon Calder was told by Mr Lynch that the government was “prepared to take risks with safety” amid the new round of walkouts.

End in sight?...Network Rail’s chief negotiator Tim Shovellor told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that deal to stop rail strikes was within “touching distance”.

‘Simply not telling the whole truth’...Mr Lynch has also accused the transport secretary of lying after Mr Harper denied allegations that the government was “blocking a settlement” with union chiefs.

No magic money tree...Speaking to LBC this morning, Mr Harper said there was not a “bottomless pit of taxpayer money” when it came to negotiating with unions. “I don’t blame unions for wanting more money but it has to be balanced, for commuters and taxpayers,” he said.

More disruption to come?...Industrial action could continue “beyond May” unless a reasonable offer is made by the government and rail companies, Mr Lynch warned in conversation with the PA news agency.

During a discussion about rail strikes around the Christmas period, Madeley repeatedly interrupted Lynch and ultimately told him to “jog on”, after a debate on when the “real” start of the festive season was.

Nicole Vassell reports:

Britain has had a difficult time of it in 2022, emerging from two years in the grip of the coronavirus only to be confronted by a dire cost of living crisis defined by runaway inflation and rocketing energy bills exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Here is Joe Sommerlad with a timeline of all of the strike dates announced so far for early January 2023:

Over six months after the national rail strikes began, the two biggest rail unions have planned to stop work for a total of five days at the start of 2023 – aimed at wrecking journey plans for a week between Monday 2 January and Saturday 8 January.

More than 40,000 members of the RMT union working for Network Rail and 14 train operators will walk out for 48 hours on 3 and 4 January, and again on 6 and 7 January.

Will your train run during the national walkouts? Travel correspondent Simon Calder has the details:

Britain’s railway services are being decimated by strike action this week – but how will your travel plans be impacted?

The PA news agency has helpfully compiled a full breakdown of each operator’s plan for strike days.

Here is the first part of three:

Avanti West Coast: On RMT strike days there is one train per hour in both directions between London Euston and each of Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Preston. A limited service is operating to Glasgow. Several areas are not being served, such as Blackpool, Edinburgh, North Wales and Shrewsbury. No services will operate during the Aslef strike on Thursday.

c2c: On Tuesday, there is no service between Shoeburyness and Upminster. Services via Rainham and Grays start and terminate at Stanford-le-Hope. There will be no service to or from Ockendon or Chafford Hundred on Wednesday or Friday. The operator will not be affected by the Aslef strike. Timetables for the last day of the RMT strike on Saturday have not been confirmed.

Caledonian Sleeper: All departures on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday night are cancelled. Services will be disrupted on Thursday night, with some journeys involving passengers being transferred onto road transport. Caledonian Sleeper does not run trains on Saturday nights.

Chiltern Railways: On Tuesday and Wednesday, no trains are running north of Banbury or to/from Oxford station. There is one train per hour in both directions between London Marylebone and each of Aylesbury via High Wycombe; Banbury; and Oxford Parkway. The same frequency is in place between Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Amersham. This will be repeated on Saturday, except there will be up to two trains per hour between London Marylebone and Aylesbury/Aylesbury Vale Parkway. No trains will run on Thursday or Friday.

CrossCountry: A very limited service is in place during RMT strike days. No direct services are running to and from Birmingham New Street and these locations: Bristol Temple Meads, Cambridge, Cardiff, Nottingham, Peterborough, Plymouth and Stansted Airport. No services will operate during the Aslef strike on Thursday.

East Midlands Railway: Just one train per hour is running in each direction between London St Pancras and each of Corby, Nottingham and Sheffield on RMT strike days. There is the same frequency between Derby and both Matlock and Nottingham; between Sheffield and Nottingham; and between Leicester and Nottingham. All other routes are closed. No services will operate during the Aslef strike on Thursday.

Gatwick Express: Services are suspended on all strike days. Passengers travelling to or from Gatwick Airport on RMT strike days can use Southern and Thameslink trains.

Grand Central: On Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, just three trains in each direction are running between London King’s Cross and Northallerton, and two between King’s Cross and Wakefield Kirkgate. The operator will not be affected by the Aslef strike. Timetables for the last day of the RMT strike on Saturday have not been confirmed.

Great Northern: There are very few trains on RMT strike days, with no services east of Ely to King’s Lynn. No services will operate during the Aslef strike on Thursday

Now for more information on how different rail operators plan to run their services on strike days.

Picking up from where we left off...

Great Western Railway: Only a very limited service is running on RMT strike days, such as between London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads, Bristol Parkway, Cardiff, Oxford and Plymouth. Services will be reduced even more during Thursday’s Aslef strike.

Greater Anglia: The company is not running any trains on its regional and branch lines on RMT strike days. Only a very limited service is operating on some routes to and from London Liverpool Street. Services will be reduced even more during Thursday’s Aslef strike.

Heathrow Express: A full service is operating on RMT strike days, but only between 7.30am and 6.17pm. No services will operate during the Aslef strike on Thursday.

Hull Trains: Only four trains are running between Doncaster and London King’s Cross on RMT strike days. The operator will not be affected by the Aslef strike.

London North Eastern Railway: A limited timetable is in operation on all strike days. The London King’s Cross-Edinburgh route having just five trains in each direction on Thursday.

London Northwestern Railway: A limited service is connecting Birmingham New Street with Crewe, London Euston and Wolverhampton on RMT strike days. Other routes are closed. No services will operate during the Aslef strike on Thursday.

Lumo: A reduced timetable is in place on all strike days, including just two trains in each direction between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh on Friday.

Merseyrail: Trains are running every 45 minutes on limited lines during RMT strike days. No trains are running between Chester and Rock Ferry; Ellesmere Port and Rock Ferry; or Liverpool Central and Hunts Cross. On Thursday, services will begin at around 7am.

Northern: Passengers are urged not to travel on RMT strike days as only a small number of routes have trains. Open routes include Liverpool to Manchester; York to Leeds; and Leeds to Sheffield. No services will operate during the Aslef strike on Thursday.

Rail passengers will face fresh travel disruption from today as tens of thousands of workers take strike action in the ongoing dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.

The Network Rail staff include signallers and engineers who run the Great British railway infrastructure. Union representatives are engaged in talks with management of this “public sector arm’s length body of the Department for Transport.”

Helen Wilson-Beevers and Simon Calder have more: