Londoners spoke of their commuting misery as they faced “absolute nightmare” journeys into work on the first weekday of a five-day Tube strike.
Commuters told how they were suffering journey times three times longer than normal as they sought alternative ways to their workplaces due to the RMT walkouts.
The Standard caught up with commuters at Stratford station who had to fight their way onto crowded buses, Elizabeth line and DLR trains while the Central and Jubilee lines were suspended due to strike action.
As a result, people queues six-deep on Elizabeth line platforms, while TfL staff desperately tried to mediate as passengers competed to get onto packed trains.
One Bow-based traveller, Sue Smith, a retired 69-year-old who doesn’t commute to work herself, said: “I think it’s disgusting.
“Train drivers don’t earn bad money. People are going to work for a lot less and their commutes are being impacted.
“I think it’s really unfair.”
Sharon Dhillon, a school teacher from Stratford, said: “It’s an absolute nightmare.
“I’m going to be late for school and someone else will have to cover for me.”
Ms Dhillon was unaware of the Tube strike and usually travels on the Central line from Stratford to her school in Leytonstone.
She told the Standard she will be late for the start of school due to having to wait for the next train.
She added: “I think it’s fair that they’re striking for more pay, but it’s not fair the impact it’s having on my journey.”
Another commuter disrupted by the strikes, Theo Ivy, was forced to take two buses instead of one 35-minute Central line Tube from his home in Upton Park to his workplace.
Mr Ivy explained his journey time has doubled due to the Tube strike and he is expecting it will take him over an hour to complete it.
He told the Standard: “I will be late for work... I can’t use the Tube, I am forced to use only the bus. It has added 35-40 minutes to my journey so I’m not so happy.”
Meanwhile, 27-year-old Marie, who works in consulting said: “I understand why they’re striking for fair compensation, we’re in a ‘cozzie livs’ (cost of living crisis) as the youth say.
“It is an inconvenience but a necessary one.”
She usually travels from her home in Stratford to St Paul’s on the Central line for 20 minutes to get to work.
Instead this morning she was forced to take the 25 bus from Stratford to St Paul’s which she predicted will take three times as long as her regular journey.
Coffee vendors outside Angel Tube station said the RMT was “holding London to ransom”.
Lizzie line to the rescue: thousands of commuters are using the Elizabeth line to get to work on Tube strike Monday pic.twitter.com/h84Ko0rXiT
— Ross Lydall (@RossLydall) September 8, 2025
One told The Standard: “I get why they want to do less hours but it's ridiculous, 32. It's a massive impact. Businesses around station don't take no money. They're holding London to ransom - they know what they're doing.”
Another said the strike was “outrageous” and would mean he would be lucky to make £30 today due to the massive fall-off in customers.
He said: “Do what the Americans do. Get someone in Government who has got a pair, and sack the lot of them. the public will suffer for three or four months, however long it takes, until we get staff that actually want to do the job.
“I blame the unions. They should not be allowed to go on strike. This is an essential service. London comes to a standstill.”
Elsewhere, RMT union members gathered at a picket line at King’s Cross St Pancras Tube station at around 8am.
The union has been attempting to secure an increase in drivers’ salaries as well as a 32-hour working week. Around 10,000 TfL staff are expected to take part in the industrial action this week.
