Hertfordshire rail commuters have hit out after facing disruption and delays to their journeys into London this morning.

Images have surfaced of overcrowded trains and platforms and even queues to get into stations themselves.

Despite planned strike action being called off on Friday, rail companies have struggled to put on a normal timetable which has caused major disruption.

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Overcrowded platforms that were “six people deep” were reported at Watford Junction, with platform 9 likened to being a part of The Hunger Games film trilogy.

Watford Observer: A tweet to London Northwestern Railway this morningA tweet to London Northwestern Railway this morning (Image: Twitter)

Meanwhile at Thameslink’s St Albans City station, at around 8.30am a photo taken from the main entrance showed a large crowd waiting to get in, while delays were also reported at Elstree & Borehamwood station as well as at London Northwestern’s Bushey station.

Watford Observer: People waiting to get into St Albans City station this morning (November 8)People waiting to get into St Albans City station this morning (November 8) (Image: Mark Mansfield)

London Northwestern received a barrage of criticism from commuters on social media this morning with complaints about late starts to services, overcrowding, and the length of trains.

One person accused the rail operator of hitting “new depths of incompetence and stupidity” while another described the situation as a “shambles”.

Watford Observer: A tweet from a London Northwestern Railway commuterA tweet from a London Northwestern Railway commuter (Image: Twitter)

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A notice on London Northwestern’s website states: “Industrial action by the RMT, originally proposed for Saturday 5, Monday 7 and Wednesday 9 November has now been called off.

“As a result of the late notice of this announcement, morning services on Tuesday 8 November will be subject to alteration.

“A normal London Northwestern Railway service is now expected to operate from Wednesday 9 November 2022.”

The company added the reduced timetable remained in place today because staffing rosters and train movements are “planned many days in advance”.

Across the country, many operators ran first trains at around 7am on Tuesday, which is approximately two hours later than normal.

St Albans Liberal Democrat MP Daisy Cooper said in a rail users group on Facebook the 7am Thameslink train did not arrive until 7.40am - which she says is being investigated by Thameslink.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) and Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) were set to stage walkouts in a long-running dispute over jobs, pay and conditions.

But the RMT suspended the strikes and talks will be held over the next few weeks to try to resolve the dispute.

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