London Tube strikes LIVE: Underground lines paralysed by RMT action as Thursday walkout ‘definitely on’

A London transport boss has dashed hopes that the RMT may call off its second planned strike this week.

Nick Dent, Director of Customer Operations on the London Underground for Transport for London, said the union had made clear in talks that it was pressing ahead with the second walkout on Thursday.

Asked on BBC Radio London if there was any chance of a deal to avert the second strike, he said: “Unfortunately, not this week. We did ask yesterday. We were in talks at Acas.

“We asked them to suspend both strike days this week to allow further talks to take place.

“We did agree together that talks would continue next week, but unfortunately, the RMT made clear to us yesterday they had made the decision to go ahead with both days this week.

“We are available for talks. We’d talk today, or we’d talk tomorrow, but they made clear, unfortunately, that both of these days will be going ahead this week.”

Some positive news from the London Underground, the Jubilee line is running almost as normal.

Tube services opened earlier than normal on Tuesday as London Underground sought to minimise disruption from the strike action.

Nick Dent, Director of Customer Operations on the London Underground for Transport for London, told BBC radio shortly after 7.30am: “The impact of the strike does vary between lines, so I can tell you, just checking before speaking to you, the Jubilee Line is now running very close to a normal service through London.

“Other lines are more impacted, other TFL modes, the Elizabeth Line, the Overground, bus, and others will be running as normal.

“The advice for the customers, your listeners, is to check before you travel, because the impact will vary different times of the day in different lines. “So, please go onto our website, use our online travel tools, and check before you travel.”

With the Tube strikes in full swing, passengers travelling to Heathrow face major disruption today.

The Piccadilly line is part suspended, so no services are running between Arnos Grove and Heathrow.

And there’s disruption to GWR and Elizabeth line services between Paddington and Heathrow due to a signalling fault in the Slough area.

Disruption is expected until 1.15pm.

Crowds of people have been pictured queuing outside London Underground stations this morning as they wait for trains.

Services are currently operating on a reduced service.

Several lines have been partially or fully suspended, with gates closed at affected stations.

At Waterloo, passengers have been seen moving slowly up and down stairways as staff manage congestion.

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: “Nobody wants to see strike action – which has a serious impact on Londoners, businesses and commuters.

“The Mayor continues to urge the RMT and TfL to get around the table to resolve this matter, so we can avoid further disruption and keep London moving.”

Industry chiefs have warned that the strike action this week will have a major impact on the hospitality sector, as customers seek to cancel their bookings and struggle to make their seats at the theatre.

Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), said:”Businesses across the capital rely heavily on office workers, commuters, visitors and tourists travelling into central London, and any disruption to the transport network has an immediate and measurable impact on footfall, trade and consumer confidence.

“For many hospitality businesses, particularly independent operators, the loss of customers caused by transport disruption is simply unaffordable in the current economic climate.

He continued: “What is particularly concerning is the prospect of further strike action extending into the remainder of the week and the weekend. Hospitality businesses plan and staff their operations around expected demand, with weekends representing some of the most important trading periods of the week.

“Continued uncertainty not only affects daily revenue but also impacts bookings, events, staffing and the wider visitor economy. London’s hospitality and night-time economy is one of the city’s greatest economic and cultural assets, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs and generating billions of pounds in economic activity. It is also a key part of the visitor experience for both domestic and international tourists.

“We fully recognise the importance of constructive industrial relations, but we urgently call on all parties to reach a resolution.”

It’s now rush hour and entire lines on the Underground are still either suspended or part suspended.

Commuters have taken to X to express their frustration at the latest round of Tube strikes.

One person joked that Tube strikes on a day as wet and miserable as this should be illegal.

For one person attending a conference in central London, their day began with a resigned acceptance that their usual journey wasn’t going to happen.

She has prepped for a long walk to her destination but, to make matters worse, has forgotten her umbrella.

With much of the Tube network affected, the Elizabeth Line has become the main fallback today.

Unsurprisingly, trains quickly became packed as passengers crowded onto the service this morning.

One commuter abandoned plans to cycle to work because of the weather, opting instead for a crowded Elizabeth Line journey to the hospital.

At Liverpool Street, passengers on the Central line were forced to disembark at 7am after an announcement informed them there would be “no more trains”.

Many continued their journeys on foot, including a walk to Bank.

If you’re a Londoner commuting into work this morning, a tourist who is trying to find their way around the city or if you’re a business trying to manage the Tube strikes, we’d love to hear from you.