Commuter misery: Severe delays hit two Tube lines
Severe delays on the District Line and Jubilee Line left Underground commuters with the prospect of a hellish commute to work this morning.
Read more: 10,000 Tube workers balloted on summer strike
A signal failure at East Putney caused severe delays between Wimbledon and Earl’s Court on the District Line, despite a good service running on the rest of the route.
And a faulty train at Southwark has led to severe delays along the entire length of the Jubilee Line.
Meanwhile South Western Railway (SWR) commuters are enduring a five-day strike that started yesterday.
The industrial action was timed to coincide with Royal Ascot and a music festival at Hampton Court in a long-running dispute between the RMT union and the train operator.
Commuters travelling between Gospel Oak and Barking are still suffering a reduced service, with just two four-carriage trains running every hour.
Meanwhile Tube workers including drivers, engineers and station staff are now voting on whether to take strike action this summer in a 10,000-staff ballot.
RMT said “crucial” talks with Transport for London (TfL) management had fallen apart over a salary boost and better working conditions.
“RMT is angry and frustrated that the company have opted to ignore the massive contribution tube staff make to this city, delivering services, including the night tube, often in difficult operational conditions,” said RMT general secretary Mick Cash.
TfL said it believes its offer is both “fair and affordable”.
Read more: Tube chaos hits commuters with delays
“We remain available for further discussions and have asked that ACAS [Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service] help to facilitate these talks. We look forward to finding a resolution in order to provide certainty for our hardworking staff,” a spokesperson said.