Britain is braced for a week of chaos as the biggest rail strike in a generation looks likely to paralyse the national network.
With services slashed to 20 per cent of their normal frequency, some places cut off entirely and passengers warned not to travel unless their journeys are absolutely necessary, here is how the walkouts are set to cripple different sectors:
Thousands of appointments and operations are likely to be missed because patients will be unable to get to hospitals and surgeries.
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, said it was ‘vital’ that people sought appointments and treatment despite the disruption.
‘I am urging those who have appointments booked in to plan ahead and look at alternative options for getting to their GP practice or hospital if needed,’ he said.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid has said the walkouts will ‘put patients at risk’ as doctors, nurses and other frontline staff struggle to get to work.
One senior NHS leader warned the strikes ‘will probably end up killing people because they’ll prevent ambulance trust staff getting to work’.
The strikes are expected to hit London hospitals especially hard, as many have limited parking capacity for patients who decide to drive to appointments.
Both London Ambulance Service Trust and South Central Ambulance Service Foundation Trust have moved to the highest level of alert, which shows they are under extreme pressure.
Families of pupils sitting GCSEs and A-levels who usually rely on trains to get them to school have been urged to find travel arrangements for this week.
Tomorrow, those teenagers who are sitting GCSE history or dance, or A-level German, religious studies or maths could be hit.
On Thursday, those who will be taking A-level chemistry or GCSE physics papers may be affected.
A total of 17 GCSE and 22 A-level papers could be disrupted by the strikes.
Schools will be allowed to begin exams up to 30 minutes late or relocate them to mitigate against disruption, according to guidance from the Joint Council for Qualifications, which represents the UK’s biggest exam boards.
Julie McCulloch, of the Association of School and College Leaders, said while most pupils lived near schools and typically travelled by bus, it was important that families made ‘alternative arrangements’ for those reliant on trains.
She urged pupils worried about how they would attend exams to talk to their school to discuss their options.
The rail and Tube strikes are likely to cost the economy at least £91million in staff absences alone, according to analysis by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR).
The CEBR calculated that 0.8 per cent of staff – more than 250,000 people – will not be able to get to work.
It estimates that almost half the £91million – £45.1million – will be incurred tomorrow, given the greater number of commuters then and the separate London Underground strikes.