[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
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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.
What tube lines are affected by the strikes?
Major tube strikes are expected to affect the entire London Underground network this week.
The RMT union confirmed on Friday that talks with arbitration service Acas had broken down, writes our deputy travel editor Lucy Thackray.
Transport for London (TfL) staff will stage mass walk outs on two days in March as a result.
Is the tube strike still on tomorrow? Full list of lines affected
Why is there a tube strike? Everything you need to know
London travellers braced for ‘severe disruption’
Travellers in London are being warned of severe disruption to tube services this week because of strikes by thousands of workers in a dispute over jobs, pensions and conditions.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) will walk out on Tuesday and Thursday, and Transport for London (TfL) says it expects severe disruption across all Tube lines on strike days.
The planned action is also likely to severely affect services on Wednesday and Friday, particularly in the morning peak.
TfL has criticised the industrial action, saying there are no proposals on pensions or terms and conditions, and nobody has or will lose their jobs because of the proposals it has set out.
“TfL will do all it can to provide as many transport options as possible, but customers are advised to check before they travel, consider if their travel is essential and work from home if possible. They should leave more time for journeys and travel at quieter times where possible,” it said a statement.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “Our members will be taking strike action because a financial crisis at LU (London Underground) has been deliberately engineered by the government to drive a cuts agenda which would savage jobs, services, safety and threaten their working conditions and pensions ... in addition to the strike action, RMT is co-ordinating a campaign of resistance with colleagues from other unions impacted by this threat.”
Picket lines will be mounted outside Tube stations across the capital on Tuesday and Thursday.
Good afternoon
Hello, and welcome to The Independent’s rolling coverage of London’s tube strikes, due to take place tomorrow and on Thursday.
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