London England United Kingdom - A major online train journey planner stopped working as services are crippled due to the largest rail strike for a generation.
 
Passengers attempting to use the National Rail Enquiries website for around half an hour this morning were shown a message stating "500 Internal Server Error".
 
The cause of the problem was unclear but it could be due to a surge in demand.
 
Only a fifth of trains are running on Tuesday, and half of the lines are closed as around 40,000 members of the Rail, Maritime, and Transport union (RMT) at Network Rail and 13 train operators have walked out.
 
Services are generally restricted to main lines, but even those are only open between 07:30am and 18:30.
 
Usually busy stations such as London Euston were nearly deserted except for union picket lines.
 
Much of Britain will have no passenger trains for the entire day, including most of Scotland and Wales, the whole of Cornwall and Dorset, and places such as Chester, Hull, Lincoln, and Worcester.
 
Last-ditch talks failed to resolve the bitter dispute over pay, jobs, and conditions, with all sides blaming each other for the lack of progress.
 
London Underground services are also suspended on the vast majority of lines today due to a walkout by workers.
 
This week’s strikes will cause travel misery for millions.
 
Neil Lancefield.