Why are train workers striking and is a breakthrough likely?

For some, like people living in Shropshire, there will be no trains at all.

Here is an update on where we are with our railways as we face a summer of travelling headache.

Who is on strike?

More than 40,000 workers at Network Rail and 14 train operating companies will strike in England in a dispute over pay, jobs and conditions.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) will walk out in a dispute with Network Rail and companies including Avanti West Coast, West Midlands Trains and Transport for Wales.

The Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA) has also launched a strike by its members at Avanti West Coast, further hitting services that travel through the West Midlands.

Network Rail pointed out that all train operators may be affected by the strike, whether they have an individual dispute with the RMT or not, as signallers control train movements across the entire country.

The companies affected by the RMT strikes are: Avanti West Coast, West Midlands Trains, Network Rail, CrossCountry Trains, Chiltern Railways, Greater Anglia, LNER, East Midlands Railway, c2c, Great Western Railway, Northern Trains, South Eastern, South Western Railway, TransPennine Express, Heathrow Express, Lumo, Hull Trains, Grand Central, Transport for Wales, ScotRail, Merseyrail, Thameslink, London Northwestern Railway, Caledonian Sleeper, Stansted Express, and GTR (including Gatwick Express).

What are the strikes about?

Network Rail is introducing reforms. It comes as fewer passengers are travelling by train because of the pandemic, which has led to more people working from home.

It says a two-year, eight per cent deal with a no-compulsory-redundancy guarantee and other benefits and extras was on the table but the RMT left the talks.

The RMT said there has been no change or improvement in the pay offers it has received and said the threat of compulsory redundancies and unsafe 50 per cent cuts to maintenance work had been raised.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said driver-only operations and the "ransacking" of members' terms and conditions had also been put on the table by the train operating companies.

Are any breakthroughs likely in this dispute?

There is plenty of bad blood around as Network Rail has accused the RMT of "obstinacy" and branded its action as a "political campaign" while the Department for Transport said the union is "hell-bent on creating further misery for passengers across the UK".

It added that the rail industry has to modernise and be brought into the 21st century for the benefit of passengers and staff.

In turn, Mr Lynch has said the RMT's members are "more determined than ever" to secure a decent pay rise, job security and good working conditions and they will not be bullied or cajoled.

He added that the Government needs to stop its interference in the dispute so the rail employers can come to a negotiated settlement.

What will be the impact of tomorrow's strike?

The strike will hit passengers travelling for holidays or attending events such as the women's Euro 2022 semi-final in Milton Keynes. People travelling into the West Midlands early for Thursday's opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham are also affected.

Organisers of the Commonwealth Games have told attendees to check with their train operators if they are planning to travel by rail to Birmingham on Wednesday or Thursday, and advised looking into long distance coaches if trains are cancelled.

Network Rail said it expected a "very limited" timetable will be available across the country tomorrow, with around 20 per cent of services running. Some parts of the country will have no services at all. They include Shropshire, where stations will be closed. Transport for Wales said it was unable to operate rail services on Network Rail infrastructure.

Services that are running tomorrow are starting later and finishing much earlier than usual, with passengers told to expect disruption and only travel if necessary.

Will there be more strikes after this week?

Members of the drivers' union Aslef at eight train operators across the country will go on strike on Saturday.

Two further RMT strikes are set to take place on August 18 and 20 over job security, pay and working conditions.

The TSSA has also served notice for strikes across seven train operating companies on the same days in August, with strike action planned at Avanti West Coast, c2c, East Midlands Railway, CrossCountry, Great Western Railway, LNER, and Southeastern trains.

Action short of strikes will be taken at West Midlands Trains, Northern, Greater Anglia, TransPennine Express and Southeastern.