Passengers in London were upset on Tuesday when a Tube strike on the underground network resulted long queues in heavy rains across the city. See complete details on viralnewsgossip.com
London Underground Strike: queues across whole city.
London News: Passengers faced a lot of difficulties today as underground tube was on strike today. according to source, “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”.
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”.
Why are early Tube services disrupted tomorrow again?
Transport for London (TfL) is warning Tube users: “Disruption will continue tomorrow morning, Wednesday 2 March, with no Tube service until at least 7.30am and a severely disrupted service after this.
“Customers are advised to avoid travelling in the early morning and aim to make journeys from mid-morning.”
Readers have asked why, if Tube workers are no longer striking, services will not be restored from the first trains.
The Independent understands that 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 is still within the RMT strike instruction, many will not report for work.
The morning shift can pick up, but not until halfway through what would normally be the morning rush hour.
TfL warns: “Further disruption is expected all day on Thursday 3 March, when customers are advised to work from home if they can, and into the morning of Friday 4 March, when customers should avoid early morning journeys.”
A few services, such as a shuttle between Wimbledon and High Street Kensington on the District Line, will continue to operate.
Coming Thursday: Tube Strike set to go ahead
The second 24-hour Tube strike, scheduled to begin at 12.01am on Thursday, looks set to go ahead.
RMT’s John Leach confirmed to BBC London that there have been no negotiations today.
The union’s general secretary said: “What there has been today is an absolute display of complete and total solidarity and determination by London Underground staff and members of the RMT who will not take this attack on their pensions, jobs and terms and conditions lying down.
“The Mayor’s announcements [today] have said nothing about addressing the issues in my opinion so we will continue.”
Tube strikes “lose-lose situation”, says London Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Richard Burge, chief executive of London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has spoken out about the Tube strikes, calling them “disruptive and frustrating”.
“Tube strikes are a lose-lose situation and have a knock-on effect, discouraging people from coming to London for work or leisure which reduces footfall and in turn means that London businesses suffer,” Burge told the BBC.
“It is shameful that the RMT continue to consider strikes as a legitimate weapon to force a desired resolution.”
Heathrow bus bargains
With the Tube network effectively closed, travellers between central London and Heathrow airport are mainly relying on trains and taxis.
The cheapest rail link between the UK’s main aviation hub and London Paddington is £11.60, taking around 35 minutes. Onward travel from Paddington is also tricky, since it is some distance from the heart of London.
Megabus has hourly coaches between Heathrow and London Victoria, which are selling for £9.88 for the 50-minute journey. National Express is selling seats at either £7.50 or £10 for its half-hourly services.
For any destination in south London, the X26 bus from Heathrow costs just £1.65 and serves East and West Croydon station, which have links to a wide range of locations by over round and tram.
Thameslink still operating through central London
One line is still carrying passengers through central London: the Thameslink north-south railway. The central core starts at London St Pancras International, hub for Eurostar, East Midlands Railway and Southeastern high-speed services to Kent.
It runs through Farringdon, usually connected to the Metropolitan and Circle lines of the Tube, and City Thameslink to Blackfriars.
This unique station straddles the River Thames, with entrances on both north and south banks.
Thameslink serves many stations in north and south London, including West Hampstead, Finsbury Park, Elephant & Castle and Wimbledon. It also links Luton and Gatwick airports via central London.
Trains are operating about every five minutes in each direction on the central core.
Londoners hoping to travel east-west through the centre of the capital should, by now, be able to do so on the Elizabeth Line – the name given to the £19bn Crossrail scheme.
But the botched project is currently over three years behind schedule. One reason for the funding crisis at Transport for London is the lack of expected revenue from the new line.
It is hoped that the link from London Paddington to Liverpool Street may be open by the end of June, 42 months late.
