Share this story!            

London tube strike hits commuters

* Transport chiefs arrange taxi-sharing at major rail terminals, free river services

LONDON: Commuters and soccer fans endured travel chaos on Wednesday as a 48-hour strike hit most of the capital’s underground rail network.

Faced with closed stations and enormous queues for buses, millions of people either walked, cycled or even roller-skated to work. Supporters heading to an England soccer World Cup qualifier against Andorra at Wembley in northwest London were urged to set out early to avoid missing the start of the game.

London Underground drivers, station staff and maintenance workers walked out at 7 pm on Tuesday in support of industrial action called by the Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union over pay and jobs. But London Underground bosses said services were running on nearly all lines by early evening on Wednesday, with a good service on the Northern Line and a ‘decent’ service on the Jubilee Line, which serves Wembley.

“Clearly, support for the RMT leadership’s actions is far from the level they were expecting,” said London’s Transport Commissioner Peter Hendy. The RMT said it had been close to agreeing a suspension of the strike minutes before it was due to start and accused politicians at London’s City Hall of scuppering the deal. Struggling passengers grumbled about the infrequency of buses, despite promises of extra services. Doctor Kalpa Desilva, 27, travelling from the East End to central London said the disruption had added an extra 30 minutes to his journey.

Taxi-sharing: Transport chiefs arranged taxi-sharing at major rail termini and laid on free river services and guided commuter cycle routes. Docklands Light Railway and London Overground services operated normally. The strike, which officially ends at 7 pm on Thursday, is likely to cause disruption into Friday morning. reuters

Home | National

Share this story!