isruption continues across the London underground network on Friday after a strike on Thursday brought the tube to a standstill.
Just after 7am only the Central and Victoria lines were running a normal service. The Bakerloo line had managed to get a partial service running, with the rest of the underground network was suspended. The DLR was part suspended. The London Overground, which has been operating throughout the strikes, was operating a good service.
By 10am most lines were operating a good service, with minor delays on the District and Circle, Hammersmith & City, Jubille and Metropolitan. The Piccadilly line still had severe delays.
TfL has warned that services were unlikely to be operating at anywhere near normal until at least mid-morning.
Action by the RMT again brought the Underground to a near-total standstill on Thursday, with more than 200 stations closed and rush-hour chaos as passengers tried to board packed buses, queued for Boris bikes and taxis or faced gridlock on the roads.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said on Thursday his members were “not prepared to take a hammering” to pay for the funding crisis at TfL that caused the staffing reductions and review of the staff pensions scheme, which costs TfL about £375 million a year.
“The fight goes on and our executive will consider the next steps in the campaign,” Mr Lynch said.
Andy Lord, TfL’s chief operating officer, apologised to passengers. “I understand they will be frustrated by this strike action, but urge them not to take it out on those who are trying to help,” he said.
“We haven’t proposed any changes to pensions or terms and conditions, and nobody has lost or will lose their jobs because of the proposals we have set out, so this action is completely unnecessary.”
He said TfL was “urging the RMT to talk to us so we can find a resolution to this dispute which has already damaged London’s recovery from the pandemic”.