More woe for evening commuters

London Underground warned weary commuters that they may face massive disruptions to tonight's journeys home after the bomb found at Ealing Broadway station caused severe delays to this mornings travel.

London Underground warned weary commuters that they may face massive disruptions to tonight's journeys home after the bomb found at Ealing Broadway station caused severe delays to this mornings travel.

The security alert came on the day that it was announced that the number of people using the London Underground each week has hit the 20 million mark for the first time.

The alert brought chaos to tens of thousands of rail travellers as commuter trains and services to and from the west of England, South Wales and the Heathrow Express - which also travel through Ealing Broadway - were hit.

Services to and from Paddington Station were effectively halted while the busy Piccadilly, Central and District Tube lines in the area were also affected, London Underground said.

London-bound Great Western passengers had to take South West Trains services from Reading into London's Waterloo station, while Heathrow Express services were suspended.

Passengers trying to get to Heathrow airport were further affected by suspension of the Piccadilly Tube line between Acton Town and Rayners Lane, west London.

There were no District line services between Acton Town and Ealing Broadway and no services on the Central line between North Acton and Ealing Broadway.

A London Underground spokeswoman said: "I'm afraid there has been severe disruption to morning rush-hour services today."

The morning misery was compounded by further alerts caused the Victoria and Jubilee Lines to be badly hit later in the afternoon.

British Transport Police were hoping to give affected stations the all clear to ease the evening rush hours and BTP spokesman Superintendent Tony Thompson said the Victoria line was handed back from British Transport Police to Railtrack at 3.23pm so services could start running again.

He said Victoria main line, Victoria underground and Westminster underground stations should be opening soon.

The spokesman said some of the line was still being searched by forensic teams.