Travel chaos is set to continue this evening after today’s tube strike, with Transport for London (TfL) “strongly advising” commuters to avoid peak times.
The London Underground strike by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) and the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA) is due to finish at 6pm today.
While TfL has moved to assure residents the majority of services are running, it warned station closures and reduced services will still be in effect this evening.
It has advised commuters to complete their evening journeys by 6pm.
Although National Rail services are not affected by today’s strike, there are no Underground services from Victoria, King's Cross, Paddington, Euston, Bank and London Bridge stations.
Services are running from Waterloo and Liverpool Street to some outer London stations.
Steve Griffiths, chief operating officer for London Underground called the strikes “unnecessary”, saying his organisation “always intended” to recruit 200 extra staff.
RMT hit out at Transport for London (TfL) for spreading "dangerous lies" about disruption to services ahead of the fresh action.
The union’s general secretary, Mick Cash said: "It does no one any favours for TfL to openly lie about how many tube services are running.
"It just piles more people into stations that are already dangerously overcrowded and ramps up the risk of a major crushing incident."
TfL said 70 per cent of tube stations across the capital are open, with services running on nine of 11 lines.
Commuters opting for overground and bus services will mean longer waits at train stations and bus stops.
Clapham Junction station had to be evacuated due to overcrowding this morning, but TfL has assured rail users that hundreds of 'travel ambassadors' have been deployed to ease disruption for the evening rush-hour.
#ClaphamJunction #tubestrike the station is not like it was...yet. #phew pic.twitter.com/0O18pg7V8t
— Claire Parker (@MissP_623) January 9, 2017
So anxious about clapham junction. Pls lord be nice
— rhi (@rhixob) January 9, 2017
Buses in central London were delayed up to an hour due to the heavy traffic in the area.
All Zone 1 stations in the Circle line boundary will be closed all day, with a limited service on the rest of the tube network.
TfL reported a 149 per cent increase in Santander cycle hires today, after extra bikes were put on in central London.
Anyone need a Boris bike? #TubeStrike pic.twitter.com/B8VlgrnXoB
— Cass Horowitz (@CassHorowitz) January 9, 2017
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan condemned the “pointless” tube strikes, saying it would punish millions of Londoners.
Mr Khan said: “This strike is going to be a huge inconvenience to commuters, tourists and TfL staff. And it is pointless.
“This historic dispute has nothing to do with the millions of Londoners this strike is punishing. It must be called off.”
Crisis-hit Southern Rail will begin their latest strike in a long running dispute over working conditions tomorrow morning.
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