[OLD]London Tube strikes – live: Most Underground lines suspended as walk-outs disrupt travel across capital
London Underground staff are striking on 1 and 3 March
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The entire Tube network is currently disrupted as London Underground staff stage the first of two 24-hour strikes set for this week, on Tuesday and Thursday respectively.
Today’s walkout has left nearly all Tube lines completely suspended, with commuters advised to work from home where possible. It began at 12.01am and will end at 11.59pm tonight.
The RMT union has 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”.
Transport for London (TfL) has warned travellers to expect “severe disruption to all lines and stations throughout the day [and the] possibility of no London Underground services.”
A second 24-hour strike begins a day later, running from 12.01am on Thursday, 3 March.
Commuters are encouraged to walk or cycle where possible; London buses, TfL Rail, National Rail, DLR, London Overground and Tram services will all be in operation, but are expected to be busier than usual.
Passengers have been advised to allow more time for their journeys this week due to the disruption.
Tomorrow’s Tube strike set to go ahead
The second 24-hour Tube strike this week looks set to go ahead tomorrow after no further agreement has been reached between the RMT Union and Transport for London (TfL) bosses.
The walkout will begin at one minute past midnight tonight - 3 March - and continue until one minute to midnight on Thursday.
It will affect the entire London Underground network again, meaning almost no services will be running across Tube lines.
Buses, TfL Rail, National Rail, Overground, DLR and Tram services will be operating but are expected to be much busier than usual.
Londoners have been advised by TfL to work from home where possible.
Good service on half of London Underground
After major disruption across the entire London Underground network this morning following yesterday’s Tube strike, there is now a good service on more than half of lines.
The Central, Jubilee, Metropolitan, Victoria, Piccadilly, Northern and Waterloo & City lines are all operating a “good service”, according to Transport for London (TfL), along with the DLR and Tram.
However, severe delays continue across the Circle and Hammersmith & City lines plus TfL Rail; the Bakerloo and District lines have minor delays; and London Overground is offering a reduced service.
Sadiq Khan hits back at critics
Sadiq Khan has hit back at accusations that his “political failure” led to this week’s Tube strikes.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said that the Mayor of London “should be standing up to Tory ministers who want to needlessly attack jobs, pensions and conditions of key transport workers”, and that it is “this political failure that has left Tube workers with no choice but to strike this week”.
However, Mr Khan told Democracy Reporting Service that RMT is “letting the Government off the hook” and “letting down Londoners” by pointing the finger at him and TfL bosses.
Mr Khan said: “Had I declined support from the Government, had I not acceded to the conditions attached by the Government, TfL would have gone bankrupt. TfL going bankrupt means every single person employed by TfL loses their job, and that includes not just RMT workers but workers from other unions and indeed those workers who are not a member of any union. Additionally, that would have caused many challenges for businesses across our city that employ millions of Londoners.
“It’s in nobody’s interest for TfL to go bankrupt, and what I’d say to RMT is, rather than going on what is at best a premature strike, let’s sit down to resolve differences because the strike today, and the strike on Thursday, is bad for TfL, it’s bad for Londoners, it’s bad for businesses who have really struggled after the last two years in the pandemic.”
Driverless Tube trains - could they happen?
Ten years ago, during his campaign for re-election in March 2012, then-London mayor Boris Johnson said: “TfL [Transport for London] will rapidly establish a timetable for introducing the first driverless trains to become operational on the London Underground network within a decade.”
The idea was to emulate the Docklands Light Railway, which has been driverless since its introduction 35 years ago. Trains are staffed with a “captain” who provides customer service and can, in an emergency, take over the controls.
Mr Johnson talked of “all the efficiency benefits it will bring and absolutely no loss of safety”.
Computerisation of Tube trains actually began in 1965, when the Victoria Line opened. The Jubilee Line opened with higher levels of automation, but every train still has a driver – and the rolling stock used on most of the network is incompatible with driverless operation.
There is also the issue of passenger confidence to consider. Though the newly opened Doha Metro, designed from the outset to be driverless, has high levels of ridership – the seats at the front of the train, where the driver would usually sit, are especially popular.
Disruption continues on eight TfL lines
There is ongoing disruption to seven London Underground lines, plus the London Overground, as we go into this afternoon.
Blamed by the operator on the knock-on effects of yesterday’s strikes, the delays and reduced services have thwarted many Londoner’s commutes and travel plans this morning.
Current TfL website updates show that:
There are minor delays on the Bakerloo, District, Hammersmith & City, Jubilee and Victoria Lines.
There are severe delays on the Circle and Metropolitan Line.
The London Overground is also running a planned, reduced service - more details on the Tfl website.
One TfL customer service representative told a customer on Twitter: “Early services have begun today, the same as yesterday. It has taken all services a few hours to resume normal services. This will be the same on Friday morning, with the next planned strike starting at 00;01 Thursday 3 March.”
Are we likely to see further strikes like the ones this week?
Many Londoners are worrying that the Tube strikes we are seeing this week could continue if the RMT union fails to reach an agreement with TfL bosses.
Simon Calder, travel correspondent for The Independent, said:
“Talking to London Underground staff yesterday, both in person and on social media, the message was clear: we kept going all through the coronavirus pandemic, and we’re not prepared to brook anything that we would regard as disadvantaging us. Pensions, job cuts and more flexible working are simply not up for discussion.
“The problem is: they are working for an organisation that has seen its revenue collapse, with little prospect of any recovery in the short term. Transport for London is now dependent on government hand-outs, and they inevitably come with strings attached.
“So I am afraid right now I can see no prospect of an early settlement.”
Get more background on Tube workers’ reasons for the strikes here:
Circle Line now operating with severe delays
The Circle Line, which was suspended this morning following yesterday’s strike action, is now up and running - albeit with severe delays.
TfL’s website does not give any information on how reduced the service is at present, merely giving the update: “Severe delays following RMT strike action.”
Tube passenger levels almost back to normal before strikes
Before transport chaos hit during this week’s strikes, the Tube’s passenger levels had recovered to almost pre-pandemic levels, reports The Independent’s policy correspondent Jon Stone.
“Some good news for TfL’s finances - Tube ridership is starting to recover from Covid. This weekend it hit 85 per cent of pre-pandemic ridership on both Saturday and Sunday - a record since the start of the pandemic,” he writes this morning.
“Tube ridership is a still lagging on weekdays: but Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday last week were all between 65-68 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, all higher than any other weekday since March 2020. Interestingly, Mondays are a few per cent lower, suggesting it’s a popular day to WFH.”
According to government data, TfL bus passenger levels were also at 89 per cent of pre-pandemic levels on Saturday.
Tottenham Hale station now open
Tottenham Hale tube station in North London is now open, reports Greater Anglia.
The rail operator tweeted the reopening at 9:30 AM.
The busy station is on the Victoria Line, linking overground services with the Tube for many passengers.
“Thank you for this information, better response from you than @TfL,” replied customer Teresa Richmond.
How can I get around without the Tube today?
With many Tube lines still out of action following yesterday’s strike, many people are looking for an alternative commute through the capital.
Buses, Thames boats and certainly cycle lanes should all prove more reliable than the Underground - but overground trains and trams will still have good services across the city.
Here’s everything you need to know about alternatives to the Tube, should the disruption continue throughout the day.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments