Faced with mounting fines and the rising wrath of millions of commuters, the New York’s public transport union sent its members back to work without a new contract and ended a crippling, three-day strike that brought underground trains and buses to a standstill.

As New Yorkers faced day three of a commute without subways and buses, union leaders faced a court date to explain why they shouldn’t be held in criminal contempt for halting the city’s mass transit system.

Subways and buses across New York shut down this morning as transit workers walked off the job after failing to agree with management on a new contract, stranding millions of travellers.