Tube strike: Londoners still facing major disruption on transport networks day after RMT walk-out
Commuters turn up to Tube stations to find gates locked as Transport for London warns services disrupted until mid morning
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Londoners woke to a second day of chaos across transport networks following a mass strike by Tube workers.
Many commuters turned up to London Underground stations early on Wednesday morning to find the gates still closed.
Only the Victoria and Central lines were running a good service as of 7am, while all other lines remained suspended, according to the Transport for London (TfL) website.
The Docklands Light Railway was also part-suspended and the London Overground was operating on a reduced service.
TfL warned commuters to avoid early morning travel until normal services resume by about mid morning.
Further disruption is also expected all day on Thursday during another walk-out from midnight, with customers advised to work from home if they can, and will last into Friday.
There are also currently (unrelated) overnight strikes on the Central and Victoria lines every Friday and Saturday until Sunday 19 June 2022.
Commuters voiced their confusion on social media after finding no Tube services running on Wednesday morning despite the strike action finishing at midnight.
The Independent understands this is because early trains are operated by night shift workers, who carry out duties at depots before preparing the first public services.
They normally sign on before midnight – but, as this was still within the RMT strike instruction, many did not report for work.
The morning shift can pick up, but not until halfway through what would normally be the morning rush hour.
About 10,000 members of the RMT union are striking in a dispute over jobs, pensions and working conditions.
The union blamed the dispute on “a financial crisis at LUL (London Underground Limited)”, which general secretary Mick Lynch described as being “deliberately engineered by the government”.
Among other things, London Underground staff are protesting major staff cuts announced in December as part of a wider TfL plan to save money.
Some 500 jobs are set to be axed across the network, with many of the larger stations bearing the brunt of the cuts.
London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, says revenue has slumped because of the coronavirus pandemic, and that cost-cutting is essential.
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