Londoners faced travel misery on Tuesday, with the first of two 24-hour strikes by Tube drivers causing huge disruption to services across the capital amid miserable weather conditions.
Members of the RMT union went on strike leaving no trains running on some lines and delays or part suspensions on others, ahead of further walkout action planned for Thursday.
TfL apologised to customers for the disrupted service, but said that 60% of drivers turned up for work, which is more than in previous strikes.
Around half of London Underground services ran during the morning peak, while TfL data showed that around 86% of Oyster and contactless card taps had been recorded across the capital on Tuesday compared to the equivalent day last year.
There was some level of service on most tube lines, however most lines ran with severe delays, while the Circle and Waterloo & City lines were suspended entirely and the Bakerloo, Central, and Piccadilly lines were part suspended.
As a result, people faced queues in the rain for taxis and buses, as London finally saw a downpour of rain following the recent heatwave.
The RMT launched the strike action after last-ditch talks with London Underground bosses failed to resolve a dispute over the working week.
The union had been seeking “assurances" over concerns about longer working hours and driver safety. Fresh talks are expected to be held next week.
London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan urged the two sides to "get round the table" before a second planned 24-hour walkout on Thursday, saying the strikes had a "serious impact on Londoners, businesses and commuters".
He added: "The workers on strike lose a day's salary, TfL loses revenues, businesses are losing their customers, people have hospital appointments they can't get to. This is a massive inconvenience.”
A TfL spokesperson said: “We are sorry that today has been difficult for customers and for London’s business, but are pleased that we have been able to offer service on almost every Tube line today despite the strike action taken by the RMT, including the Jubilee Line operating a normal service.
“Only a handful of drivers had stayed away from work on the Jubilee Line, and overall around 60% of drivers came to work. which is more than in April’s strike action.
“We continue to urge the RMT to work with us to resolve their questions on the proposed four-day week and to suspend any future action while that work is completed.”
An RMT spokesperson said: “Our strike has been strongly supported by RMT members with well attended picket lines at Tube stations and depots.
“We are available at any time for talks to try to find a negotiated settlement and expect to meet the employer next week.”
According to Virgin Media O2 data, footfall was down 16% compared to a normal Tuesday morning in parts of London.
The weather and further rail disruption only added to the travel chaos.
Heavy rain flooded the railway between Fulwell and Shepperton, blocking all lines on Tuesday morning, while Belmont station in Sutton was flooded in the late afternoon, meaning Thameslink trains running between Epsom Downs and Sutton were unable to stop at the station.
King’s Road in Chelsea was also blocked in both directions by a fallen tree, with images shared online showing the tree covering both pavements on the street.
The second 24-hour walkout from the RMT is planned from 12.01am to 11.59pm on Thursday June 4.
