Chaos hits commuters with severe Tube delays
Commuters faced a dire journey into work this morning after signalling problems left three Tube lines suffering severe delays.
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The Circle Line and Hammersmith & City Line had severe delays along their entire lines this morning after the problem.
Meanwhile the District Line had severe delays between High Street Kensington and Edgware Road due to an earlier signalling fault.
Transport for London (TfL) also warned passengers using the Circle Line that it is part suspended between Hammersmith and Edgware Road due to an earlier signalling error.
TfL urged passengers to use other Tube lines and transport to get to work.
It warned Hammersmith & City Line commuters: “Please use other routes where possible as fewer trains than usual are currently running and they are likely to be very crowded and journeys will take significantly longer.”
Local buses are accepting passengers’ tickets.
The transport delay comes as commuters brace for Tube strike action this summer.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) Union is set to ballot 10,000 London Underground staff including drivers, engineers and platform staff on industrial action.
RMT said it “is angry and frustrated” over a salary dispute with TfL.
TfL has allegedly ignored the work of its staff, including on the Night Tube.
Talks between the two parties collapsed earlier this week and now the threat of strikes hangs over the summer.
Mick Cash, RMT general secretary, said: “The failure of Tube bosses to come up with proposals that meet the union call for serious improvements in both pay and working conditions has been the catalyst for the collapse of the talks.”
London Underground responded by saying its offer was “fair and affordable”.
Read more: 10,000 Tube staff to vote on summer strikes
“We remain available for further discussions and have asked that Acas [Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service] help to facilitate these talks,” it added.
“We look forward to finding a resolution in order to provide certainty for our hardworking staff.”