Rail commuters face a day of disruption due strikes by Merseyrail and Northern workers.
Members of the RMT union are taking up 24 hours of industrial action on Monday (March 13).
A heavily reduced train schedule is running with no Merseyrail trains out of Chester or Ellesmere Port.
Recap our updates and travel information from the morning commute below.
Key Events
Signing off
With the morning commute done and dusted, it is time to close our live updates.
Hopefully they were helpful in navigating your way to work this morning.
Have a good day.
Break in service
There will now be no Merseyrail trains at all between 11am and 2pm.
A spokesman added: “We are sorry that we are unable to run the previously advertised timetable today.
“This is because train drivers, who are not part of the industrial action taking place on the Merseyrail network today, have decided not to cross RMT picket lines.”
Update to services from 1100. Please check timetables here: https://t.co/N95UAG9h6N pic.twitter.com/aw2juLdMXu
— Merseyrail (@merseyrail) March 13, 2017
How long will the strike last?
RMT members are due to be on strike until 11.59pm tonight.
This means trains throughout the day and the evening commute will also be affected.
Merseyrail has said the last Wirral Line service would be at 7pm and it looks like it will terminate at Hooton.
This could be subject to change as we saw this morning with the cancellations.
For all the latest throughout the day visit Merseyrail here and Northern Rail here.
More frustration
@merseyrail why would you advertise that Chester services are running and then the night before decide to swerve it off?
— Liam (@LQ_97) March 13, 2017
@merseyrail so there's not one train going from James St to Chester today? After stating there was 2 weeks back in my last tweet!?#stressed
— Cerys Richardson (@Cerys_Ruth1) March 13, 2017
Compensation
You may be entitled to a refund if your journey has been severely affected or you have been unable to travel today.
National Rail has more information on their website here.
Merseyrail interview
Our colleagues at the Liverpool Echo have spoken to Merseyrail’s deputy managing director Andy Heath.
He has confirmed the additional cancellations this morning were because some drivers refused to cross the picket line.
Andy Heath, deputy managing director of Merseyrail, on today's strike action by the RMT. pic.twitter.com/50fcrKBu7M
— Alan Weston (@alanweston) March 13, 2017
Guard tweet
This has received more than 100 retweets.
Hope this helps explain why we feel the need to carry out strike action. #keeptheguardonthetrain.#ourjobsyoursafety. #northernstrike pic.twitter.com/VsGNXwQKIJ
— Andy Lee (@AndyLee1707) March 12, 2017
RMT say strike 'massively successful'
The RMT has hailed the picketing operation on Merseyrail this morning.
RMT General Secretary Mick Cash said: “The RMT action on Merseyrail this morning is absolutely solid with pickets out in force at all key points and the response on the ground has been wholly positive. It has been a massively successful operation.
“This strike is about safety and about putting the welfare of the travelling public before the profits of the private rail companies. The public understand that and its about time Merseyrail and their cheerleaders woke up to that reality, got out the bunker and started serious talks with the union that secure a safe future for their services and the guarantee of a guard on their trains.”
Your tweets
@merseyrail thanks for changing the Chester plan for today - who needs passengers !
— John P. Fitton (@jpfitton) March 13, 2017
Morning @merseyrail - bit confused: your app says Chester line fine, web says otherwise. Also need to know if buses to & from Hooton. Thx.
— Mils' Life/Work Lab. (@zebrared) March 13, 2017
Clearly Merseyrail are having to deal with quite a few.
We are working to answer your tweet as soon as possible. Apologies for the delay. pic.twitter.com/Tvwr4JjPOt
— Merseyrail (@merseyrail) March 13, 2017
Chester station video
This was the scene at Chester Railway Station at about 7am.
There was no picket line and announcements were going out about the Merseyrail cancellations.
If you are just waking up
A repeat that the Merseyrail Wirral Line is not running to Chester or Ellesmere Port.
The provider had said they would be running a service every 30 minutes but this has been cancelled.
Instead trains are just going between Hooton and Liverpool James Street.
A Northern Rail service between Chester and Altrincham is running, but according to their timetable the next one is not until 9am.
Other rail companies are as normal heading to Manchester or North Wales.
Not just affecting the rails
Reminder that there is a train strike today you may experience more traffic on the roads
— NW Motorway Police (@NWmwaypolice) March 13, 2017
What do Northern Rail say?
Well their website seems to be down so not a whole lot this morning.
Northern regional director Sharon Keith said: “Our aim is to deliver a public transport service for as many people as possible on Monday as we know Northern plays a key role in keeping the north of England moving.
“We expect all services, rail and bus, to be extremely busy and ask for customers’ patience on Monday.
“We would also ask customers to take time to consider whether journeys are necessary and, if they are, to plan carefully.”
What do Merseyrail say?
Merseytravel chief executive Frank Rogers said: “Industrial action is intended to be disruptive and it will be.
“While rail travellers will be most directly affected, other people travelling in and around the Liverpool City Region that day are likely to be impacted as people take to the wider transport network.
“Consider when you travel and how, to play your part in keeping the City Region moving as best it can.”
How have you been affected?
We want to know your stories about how your trip to work has been disrupted this morning.
Tweet us @ChesterChron or let us know on our Facebook page here.
Why is the strike happening?
The RMT members are striking against plans to bring in driver-only trains which they say would put public safety at risk and could also lead to job losses.
RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “This dispute was entirely preventable if the company had listened to the union’s deep-seated safety concerns, had taken them seriously and had put passenger safety before profit.”
Our full explainer story can be found here.
No Wirral Line trains out of Chester or Ellesmere Port
Good morning and welcome to this live blog.
Hopefully it will help you get to work this morning.
Merseyrail have had to reduce their schedule even further than expected with no Wirral Line trains out of Chester and Ellesmere Port.
Instead they are running a service between Hooton and Liverpool James Street.
Information about further cancellations on other Merseyrail lines in the tweet below.
Please see latest update regarding timetable updates today. pic.twitter.com/8P4oyhAWB2
— Merseyrail (@merseyrail) March 13, 2017