The Traveller's Magazine
We’ve watched all summer long as transit strikes took place all across Europe. From cabin crew and ground crew at British Airways, to trains/ferries/buses in Athens and across Greece to Paris… today the London tube went on strike, affecting millions of travellers and commuters either stranded or lost. 9 Underground lines are either fully or partly suspended until further notice.
More than 10,000 members of the Rail Maritime and Transport union walked last night in protest of plans to cut more than 800 jobs in the industry. Another walk-out is planned for October/November and will cost the local economy at least £50 million, not to mention the millions of travellers and commuters that depend on the Underground to get to work and tour London.
To ease the chaos caused by the tube disruptions there are 100 extra buses operating above ground, escorted bicycle rides, controlled taxi stands and a capacity of around 10,000 people to travel along the Thames by boat. If you don’t know how to get where you need to go, find a volunteer at the entrance of the Tube stations; they will be able to help you plan an alternative route.
Those arriving on flights to London might also be surprised that transferring to other airports or to their hotels is more difficult than usual.
The strike is planned to last 24 hours, ending tonight at 21:00 local time.
How to get around London:
Bus: There are 100 additional buses operating today on 700 routes across London.
DLR/London Overground: Services above ground are operating as usual.
Tramlink: Services are operating as usual.
Bike: Londoners are encouraged to use the London Cycle Hire program if they are members during the strike, being one of the most reliable ways to get around the city during a transit strike. If you own a bike, put the fun between your legs and commute by two wheels today. Check out the cycle journey planner if you need help planning your route.
River: Larger boats are being used to add 500+ more spaces on shuttle services along the Thames between Tower, Westminster and the London Eye. It operates between 6:30 and 10:00, 16:00 and 20:00. Fares: £3 for single journey.
Taxi: Take a marshalled taxi to London’s rail stations including Waterloo, Liverpool St, King’s Cross, Charing Cross and Marylebone. There is also a fixed-taxi sharing program that is operating as normal from Euston Station and Paddington.
Foot: Grab a walking map from tube station entrances. Volunteers can help you plan your route if you plan to walk instead of ride.
Suspended services:
- Circle
- Piccadilly
- Victoria
- Waterloo
- City
Party operating service:
- District
- Jubilee
- Hammersmith & City
- Metropolitan
Delayed service:
- Central
- Northern
- Bakerloo
Stranded in London? Totally affected by the Tube station strikes? Tell us how you managed to get to work this morning or how the strike affected your sightseeing tour around London!
Img: ktylerconk / flickr cc
