Commuters face more Tube delays after worst month on record

Severe disruption on the Victoria line today completed the worst month on record of daily delays and disruption across the network used by three million passengers.

Services came to a stop after two passeners used the trains emergency alarm system at Finsbury Park station during the height of the monring peak period.

Commuters on three other lines also suffered.

There were also delays to Circle and Hammersmith & City line services due to a signal failure at Paddington.

The Metroplitan line suffered disruption because of a shortage of trains.

The Victoria line train was held in the station while the incident was investigated.

Other trains stacked up behind on the busy line used by more than 550,000 passengers a day.

The Metropolitan line problems were caused by delays to overnight maintenance in fitting anti-skid measures to combat leaves on the line.

A London Underground spokesman said: "There were minor delays on the Metropolitan Line starting at 7.30am this morning following overnight maintenance issues which reduced the number of trains available for service."

"There are severe delays on the Victoria Line following the activation of two on-board passenger train alarms at Finsbury Park station at 8.28am. The train was held there for ten minutes after two passengers in separate incidents activated the emergency stop buttons."

Whoever raised the alarm, and why, could not be found and the train continued - but with severe knock-on delays.

The past four weeks have resulted in unprecedented disruption across the network, mainly as a result of signal failures and train breakdowns.

Thousands of passengers have been forced to walk along tunnels to safety from stranded trains.

Bob Crow, the RMT leader, said: "We have now had a month of unprecendented chaos on the tube. All of our warnings about cuts to staffing, maintenance and the legacy of privatisation have come home to roost and the Underground is lurching from crisis to crisis on a daily basis with worse to come with more cuts in the pipeline.

"It remains a scandal that in his third year in charge Mayor Boris Johnson has yet to meet the London transport unions to discuss a way out of this shambles."

A 24-hour strike - the fourth - is scheduled to go ahead Monday 29 November, in protest over 800 job cuts to station staff. The unions have refused to rule out further stoppages after that.