Tube misery for Hammersmith residents

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Severe delays on tube coupled with terrible traffic

Tube strike misery was compounded for Hammersmith residents by terrible traffic delays on Wednesday.

The Picadilly line was running with severe delays between Hammersmith and Acton Town, and from Arnos Grove to Cockfosters, the District line also had severe delays between Ealing Broadway and Tower Hill.

The Hammersmith and City Line ran with severe delays but was suspended by Wednesday evening due to industrial action.

People queued for buses, took to their bikes, or simply walked to work as the City ground to a halt due to the industrial action.

Hammersmith resident Gavin McEvoy said he was fed up on arriving home.

He said: "I'm just home from work, the Hammersmith roundabout is closed, there's been Wembley traffic and tube strike traffic! I need wine."

Richmond resident Tony Unwin said that walking was the way to go. He said: "It's nice to walk from White City to Hammersmith, I can't understand folk who wait for a bus then get off two stops on."

Transport for London arranged taxi-sharing at major rail termini and laid on free river services and guided commuter cycle routes.

The 250-mile underground network normally runs over 500 trains at peak hours and carries some 3.5 million passengers a day.

But not all lines were closed. London Underground said there was a good service on the Northern Line and reduced services running on sections of the District, Jubilee, Victoria, Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines.

Docklands Light Railway and London Overground services operated normally.

The Rail Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, which called the action over jobs and pay, failed to reach an agreement with Tube bosses at last-ditch talks on Tuesday.

"Services are currently running on more than half of London Underground lines," said Transport Commissioner Peter Hendy.

"Clearly, support for the RMT leadership's actions is far from the level they were expecting."

June 10, 2009