London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jan 05, 2026

London tube strike: commuters face second day of travel chaos

London tube strike: commuters face second day of travel chaos

Most underground lines in capital remain suspended, with second walkout planned for Thursday

London commuters faced another challenging journey into work as most tube lines stayed closed following strike action.

The majority of London Underground lines remained suspended on Wednesday morning after a 24-hour strike action by tube workers on Tuesday, with a further 24-hour walkout planned for Thursday.

Shortly before 8am, only the Victoria and Central lines were running a good service. Eight others lines were suspended, part-suspended or showing delays, and the Northern Line was part-closed.

The Docklands Light Railway was running a good service but the London Overground was operating a reduced service.

The RMT union called the strikes in a dispute over pensions, jobs and working conditions following a breakdown in talks last week. An estimated 10,000 tube workers took part in the strike on Tuesday.

The walkout forced the entire suspension of the network during the Tuesday morning rush-hour, although limited services returned later on a few lines. People tried to get to work on buses or in taxis but huge queues formed, forcing many to give up and go home.

Commuters queue for buses at Waterloo station on Wednesday morning.


The Transport for London (TfL) chief operating officer, Andy Lord, was uncertain of the level of service that would be running on Wednesday. Speaking to BBC London, he said: “I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to provide slightly better service but unfortunately, I would still advise customers to check in advance and allow more time for their journey.

He added: “There will be disruption on Thursday, and [Wednesday] morning until eight o’clock, or thereabouts, and again on Friday. I would please ask everybody to go to the TfL website, look at the TfL Go app, and check before they travel.”

Meanwhile, unions have reacted with anger after a comment piece in the Daily Telegraph portrayed the RMT’s assistant general secretary, Eddie Dempsey, as a “apologist” for the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin because he met pro-Russian separatists in 2015.

The Communication Workers Union described the article as a “disgrace”. In a tweet, it added: “RMT members are protecting their pensions and jobs. Instead of pathetic attacks like this let’s see a bit more about the Russian-funded Tory government that is trying to do these workers over.”

The RMT’s former leader, Mick Cash, tweeted: “Shameful journalism. It would seem some are quite happy to follow in the dishonourable footsteps of those involved in the Zinoviev letter. Use Russian events to fraudulently discredit others.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Maduro’s Arrest Without The Hague Tests International Law—and Trump’s Willingness to Break It
German Intelligence Secretly Intercepted Obama’s Air Force One Communications
The U.S. State Department’s account in Persian: “President Trump is a man of action. If you didn’t know it until now, now you do—do not play games with President Trump.”
Fake Mainstream Media Double Standard: Elon Musk Versus Mamdani
HSBC Leads 2026 Mortgage Rate Cuts as UK Lending Costs Ease
US Joint Chiefs Chairman Outlines How Operation Absolute Resolve Was Carried Out in Venezuela
Starmer Welcomes End of Maduro Era While Stressing International Law and UK Non-Involvement
Korean Beauty Turns Viral Skincare Into a Global Export Engine
UK Confirms Non-Involvement in U.S. Military Action Against Venezuela
UK Terror Watchdog Calls for Australian-Style Social Media Ban to Protect Teenagers
Iranian Protests Intensify as Another Revolutionary Guard Member Is Killed and Khamenei Blames the West
Delta Force Identified as Unit Behind U.S. Operation That Captured Venezuela’s President
Europe’s Luxury Sanctions Punish Russian Consumers While a Sanctions-Circumvention Industry Thrives
Berkshire’s Buffett-to-Abel Transition Tests Whether a One-Man Trust Model Can Survive as a System
Fraud in European Central Bank: Lagarde’s Hidden Pay Premium Exposes a Transparency Crisis at the European Central Bank
Trump Announces U.S. Large-Scale Strike on Venezuela, Declares President Maduro and Wife Captured
Tesla Loses EV Crown to China’s BYD After Annual Deliveries Decline in 2025
UK Manufacturing Growth Reaches 15-Month Peak as Output and Orders Improve in December
Beijing Threatened to Scrap UK–China Trade Talks After British Minister’s Taiwan Visit
Newly Released Files Reveal Tony Blair Pressured Officials Over Iraq Death Case Involving UK Soldiers
Top Stocks and Themes to Watch in 2026 as Markets Enter New Year with Fresh Momentum
No UK Curfew Ordered as Deepfake TikTok Falsely Attributes Decree to Prime Minister Starmer
Europe’s Largest Defence Groups Set to Return Nearly Five Billion Dollars to Shareholders in Twenty Twenty-Five
Abu Dhabi ‘Capital of Capital’: How Abu Dhabi Rose as a Sovereign Wealth Power
Diamonds Are Powering a New Quantum Revolution
Trump Threatens Strikes Against Iran if Nuclear Programme Is Restarted
Apple Escalates Legal Fight by Appealing £1.5 Billion UK Ruling Over App Store Fees
UK Debt Levels Sit Mid-Range Among Advanced Economies Despite Rising Pressures
UK Plans Royal Diplomacy with King Charles and Prince William to Reinvigorate Trade Talks with US
King Charles and Prince William Poised for Separate 2026 US Visits to Reinforce UK-US Trade and Diplomatic Ties
Apple Moves to Appeal UK Ruling Ordering £1.5 Billion in Customer Overcharge Damages
King Charles’s 2025 Christmas Message Tops UK Television Ratings on Christmas Day
The Battle Over the Internet Explodes: The United States Bars European Officials and Ignites a Diplomatic Crisis
Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie Join Royal Family at Sandringham Christmas Service
Fine Wine Investors Find Little Cheer in Third Year of Falls
UK Mortgage Rates Edge Lower as Bank of England Base Rate Cut Filters Through Lending Market
U.S. Supermarket Gives Customers Free Groceries for Christmas After Computer Glitch
Air India ‘Finds’ a Plane That Vanished 13 Years Ago
Caviar and Foie Gras? China Is Becoming a Luxury Food Powerhouse
Hong Kong Climbs to Second Globally in 2025 Tourism Rankings Behind Bangkok
From Sunniest Year on Record to Terror Plots and Sports Triumphs: The UK’s Defining Stories of 2025
Greta Thunberg Released on Bail After Arrest at London Pro-Palestinian Demonstration
Banksy Unveils New Winter Mural in London Amid Festive Season Excitement
UK Households Face Rising Financial Strain as Tax Increases Bite and Growth Loses Momentum
UK Government Approves Universal Studios Theme Park in Bedford Poised to Rival Disneyland Paris
UK Gambling Shares Slide as Traders Respond to Steep Tax Rises and Sector Uncertainty
Starmer and Trump Coordinate on Ukraine Peace Efforts in Latest Diplomatic Call
The Pilot Barricaded Himself in the Cockpit and Refused to Take Off: "We Are Not Leaving Until I Receive My Salary"
UK Fashion Label LK Bennett Pursues Accelerated Sale Amid Financial Struggles
U.S. Government Warns UK Over Free Speech in Pro-Life Campaigner Prosecution
×