24-hour rail strike disrupts London

A Tube strike, part of the biggest rail strike in 30 years, has created major disruption for Londoners.

About 10,000 London Underground staff joined in the strike, claiming proposals by bosses will cut jobs, change working agreements and pensions.

Transport for London (TfL) advised people to avoid travelling throughout the day, with all Tube lines affected. The national rail strikes also hit the number of London Overground and Elizabeth line services running.

Final train services were much earlier than normal, such as London Euston to Glasgow at 13:30 BST and London King’s Cross to Edinburgh at 14:00. The chaos is set to continue on Wednesday, with only 60% of trains running, mainly due to a delay to the start of services because signallers and control room staff are not doing overnight shifts.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson put the public on notice for further strike action as Downing Street said it would “not give in” to demands from the rail unions. There were also severe traffic queues on outer London sections. People trying to travel around the capital on foot also faced long queues for buses. Taxi firm Uber hiked its prices amid a spike in demand, with a three-mile (4.8km) journey from Paddington to King’s Cross estimated to cost £27 at 08:45.

West End theatres had to cancel shows and sports venues, including the Oval at Vauxhall, were left with seas of empty seats. Strikes are also planned for Thursday and Saturday. It will undoubtedly impact the number heading to the Oval cricket ground for Surrey’s T20 Blast match against Somerset.

And for those who miss the last train home, the longest day of the year may yet feel even longer. (BBC)