UPDATE 2.10PM:

The train drivers' union is surprised by the impact of its industrial action in Auckland.

Trains running through the New Lynn station this morning were packed like sardines, with passengers being told to just miss their ride if it was too full.

It's because the number of trains running to town have been halved, after the Rail and Maritime Transport Union told train drivers to not work any overtime hours.

Organiser John Kerr says they knew the system relied on overtime, but until today they didn't know to what extent.

 

READ MORE: AT and RMT union remain at odds

Earlier a group of schoolchildren missed at two trains.

Passenger Eddie Tuiavii said he left about half an hour earlier because of the action, but he's even more worried about the chaos when university students hit the trains.

"It's only going to get worse and instead of getting up at 5, we'll have to get up at 3."

Passenger Hajra missed one train, and says she would've caught the bus if she'd known it was going to be this packed.

"I've never seen it this busy, and I can't stand because I have a problem with my knees. I'm going to take a later train, hopefully it won't be this busy."

Today marks the first day of the busiest time of the year on Auckland's roads, public transport and cycleways, with the chaos only expected to intensify with planned industrial action by Auckland train services.

Auckland Transport announced on Saturday that, from today, train services will run on a 20-minute frequency during peak on weekdays due to industrial action by the Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU).

It advised that customers should expect delays on the rail network on the Southern, Western and Eastern lines due to fewer services running during peak travel times.

The action comes after AT moves to cut train managers from its rail services and replace them with a team of transport officers, despite serious health and safety concerns.

This is a change from the usual 10-minute frequency. Auckland train workers have also threatened a full-day strike on top of refusing to work overtime.

Commuters on affected services can expect delays for the next 19 days, sparking a warning from AT for commuters to make alternative travel arrangements to avoid delays.

Newstalk ZB's Timesaver Traffic is reporting there is nothing unusual happening on the roads as of yet but traffic is currently heavy through Silverdale, between Drury and Takanini, from Highbrook to Mt Wellington and between Ellerslie and Greenlane.

From Monday 26 February until Friday 16 March, train services on the Southern, Western and Eastern Lines will run on a 20-minute frequency during peak on weekdays due to industrial action by the RMTU. Plan your travel ahead: https://t.co/ZSGMfrTC9D pic.twitter.com/Z8VR3jvqEb

— Auckland Transport (@AklTransport) February 24, 2018

Congestion is also building between Westgate and Royal Rd, at Western Springs and between Dominion Rd and Queenstown Rd.

Yesterday, Transdev managing director Michel Ladrak apologised to Aucklanders for the disruption to their normal peak services and said it was working with Auckland Transport and RMTU to end the industrial action as swiftly as possible.

"It is regrettable the RMTU has chosen the 'March Madness' period for its industrial action as it has targeted commuters and the many thousands of tertiary students returning from summer break," he said.

While train services will face disruptions, ferry and bus services will operate as normal.

To help deal with public transport's busiest time of the year, an extra 4600 seats each day have been added to bus services.

Chief transport services officer Mark Lambert said AT had at least matched last year's extra seats and in some cases added to it.

"We will have 99 double deckers operating on various routes over the next few weeks which will help with demand.

"We are confident our customers will be able to get on services but there may be some queuing, some people will have to stand and in some cases the first bus might be full."

Other proposed train network changes include transferring the responsibility for train door opening and closing from train managers to train drivers, with specific safety controls, pending safety case approval from independent rail regulator, NZ Transport Agency.

The changes have drawn ire from the union which said cutting the staff would jeopardise passenger safety.

"They want to make locomotive engineers – the people driving the trains – also responsible for passenger assistance and security.

"Rail workers know this just isn't safe, and they won't accept the risk to our passengers," RMTU organiser John Kerr said earlier in January.

The union met Auckland Transport and Transdev last week, and is due to talk again on Wednesday.

Kerr said if progress wasn't made, RMTU members were willing to take full-day strikes.

"Strike action is the only tool we have to make management listen. We apologise to the public for the inconvenience, but we won't put them at risk and we know we have their support for that," he said in January.

"We call on Auckland Council and central government to step in and tell Transdev to keep our passenger trains safe."